Dead Hearts are Everywhere
by Skyler Samuels
Summary: Jade West has a lot of firsts on her sixteenth birthday, including her first death. She discovers she is part of an ancient race and someone is hunting her down. Pairings vary. Rated T for violence and language.
1. Lines Come Down Heavy

**Chapter One: Lines Come Down Heavy **

_Synopsis: Jade West has a lot of firsts on her sixteenth birthday, including her first death. She discovers she is part of an ancient race and someone is hunting her down. _

_"Jade, get up," _Sylvia West, Jade's adoptive mom, yelled across the hall already dressed for the day. Sylvia reached Jade's door and banged on it. "I swear I am not driving you to school today!" Sylvia shouted before walking down the stairs.

Jade sighed as she started awakening. She looked at her nightstand as her phone went off. She grabbed it and checked it. She smiled before she got up and went to her bathroom to get dressed.

"Jade West, if you are not down here in five seconds, I'm gonna go up there." Sylvia shouted just before Jade walked into the kitchen, dressed.

Jade comments, "Calm down, crazy lady, or you're going to pop something you might need."

"Jade?"

"Oh, sorry, no time; I have a super mean mom who won't drive me to school."

"Jade."

"What?" Jade asked, turning back around from the door she was about to exit.

"Sit." Sylvia said, pointing to a chair next to her. Jade sighed and sat down. "So..."

"Fine, let's see, um, I got a B on my geometry quiz." Jade spoke. "Which is better than it could have been."

"Yeah..."

"Oh, and that girl who everyone thought was gonna get pregnant. She's pregnant.

"Oh, no."

"And no, at no point did an even remotely cute boy look my way and say "Hey, Jade" so pretty much, all is right with the world. Happy?" Jade asked.

"Very." Sylvia responded. "Go."

"Oh, and Jade...?" Jade turned around at the sound of her mom's voice.

"Huh?"

"Say "Hi" to Cat and Carlos for me."

"How did you know how I was...?" Jade trailed off.

Sylvia points at herself, "This is why I'm in charge."

"Text me," Jade responded.

"I love you too." Sylvia said, watching Jade walk out the door.

"That's implied!" She calls out before the door slams.

* * *

><p>The sky is foggy and muddy as Jade, Cat, and Carlos sit at the beach. Carlos holds out the birthday cupcake for Jade with the candle lit. "Uh, hurry, make a wish. My hands are on fire." Carlos says. Jade blows which causes spit to go all over his hands. "And now it's covered in spit." Carlos added. She and Cat laugh as Carlos continues, "This one's definitely yours."<p>

"Happy pre-birthday...!" Cat yells, putting her hands up in the air and Jade has a slight smile on her face. "I can't believe tomorrow's your big 1-6."

"Thanks."

"What did you wish for?" Carlos asked as Jade took the candle out of the cupcake.

"No, you can't tell!" Cat exclaimed, slapping him on the arm repeatedly. "She can't tell!"

"Really, it wasn't a big..." Jade paused. "I just wished for things to be different."

"What things?" Cat wondered, watching as Jade stood up.

"Everything," She responded.

"You mean you want more than two friends?" Cat asks, jumping to conclusions.

"Cat, it was not about you."

Jade stands up on one of the wooden posts that hold up the heavy chain that separates the grass from the bike path. "I would kind of like to be kissed once in my life." Jade spoke.

Carlos responds offended, "Hey! You've been kissed."

"We were seven."

"And clearly so traumatized by the experience that it's taken her almost ten years to want to do it again."

"And right back to hey."

"I just feel like I want to take a risk. Do something special. Be noticed. Maybe I'm just tired of being the good girl."

"Uh, how are you doing that?" Carlos suddenly asked. Jade looks down to see she is balancing in the center of the chain strung between the posts.

"I don't know. It's easy." She responds then balances on one foot, showing off and hops down. Carlos immediately tries to duplicate the feat. "It sounds so lame when I say it out loud, but I want to do something risky. Changed...just not be me for a little while. It's hard to describe."

Cat asks, "So, do you want to go back to my house and watch a move?"

"Were you not just listening to me?" Jade glanced at her.

"Yeah, but that's what we always do."

Suddenly, Carlos flips off the chain and lands on his back between them. "You're a liar." He spoke. "That is so not easy." As soon as he gets up, he continues. "Hey, let's go to my house and play World of Warcraft. You can totally pick the realm."

Jade starts to smirk, mischievously then says, "Thanks. But I've got a better idea."

* * *

><p>Moments later, the three of them are standing across the street from THE BANK, a pulsing club that the young and the beautiful are lined up to get into. Cat doesn't look too sure.<p>

Carlos comments, "This is so much better.

"Come on." Jade says. They cross the street, dodging traffic, but the entrance is blocked by a couple of big guys checking IDs.

Cat objects, "There's no way they're letting any of us in there."

Jade looked down the alley that runs along the side of the building; nothing. But suddenly, a frat boy and his girlfriend tumble out of the fire exit just before the frat boy vomits over the railing. Nice. Jade sees her chance and slips in behind them. She holds the door open. Let's go! Now or never!

"No. Jade, we can't..." Cat starts to say as Carlos hesitates for only a second before following after her. "Wait for me." She hustles up the steps.

Minutes later, they made their way through the crowded, throbbing space and find room at the end of the bar. Cat is super uncomfortable, but Carlos can barely contain his smile. He nods and winks at two models; they immediately move away.

Jade warns him, "Don't do that. Be cool."

Just then, a good-looking, young guy, Moose Condor slides up next to Jade and checks her out. She shoots her friends a look. See? This is how it's done.

"Hi." Jade greeted him.

"Hi." He responds. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you look kind of young."

Jade lies, "I'm over eighteen."

"Good to know, but you have to be over twenty-one."

"Please don't tell anyone."

"It's okay. I'm using my brother's ID."

Jade smiles, relieved, then, "Dance with me!"

She doesn't really give him a chance to respond as she pulls him onto the dance floor. Seconds later, on the dance floor, Jade and Moose are burning up the place. Actually, Moose is just doing his best to keep up; Jade is sexy and free and loving every minute of it. Who is this girl?

Later, Jade and Moose come out of the club, hot and sweaty. "Okay, you, my young friend, are wild." Moose commented.

"No one's every said that about me before." Jade is pleased.

"I find that hard to believe. You know my brother's place is just a couple of blocks..." Moose trails off.

"I'm not that wild, yet." Jade responded. "I really, truly, have to go. I still can't believe that Cat and Carlos ditched me."

"Will you maybe, at least call me?" Moose asks. Jade hands him her phone so he can put in his info. When he's done, he hands it back to her and she looks at it.

"People call you Moose." She reads. "I like the name."

"Let's hope you like the face that goes with it." He responds as she snaps a picture of him.

"I think I do. See ya." Jade replied. She starts to go, but stops and glances back. Jade walked up to Moose and kissed him, hard on the lips. When she lets go, he's not quite sure what hit him and touches his lips.

"See? I knew I'd been missing out."

"Wow. Uh, are you sure I can't at least give you a ride?" Moose asks. "It's pretty cold out."

"I like it. It makes me feel alive." This time she really does go, running of across the street for home. A figure in a long, black, leather coat is watching her from the alley.

* * *

><p>Jade is next to her locker, anxiously scanning the crowded hallway when she spots a pink fur coat make a hasty U-turn. "Cat, wait for me!" She shouts at her. Cat doesn't slow down. Jade catches up and cuts her off. Cat side-steps and keeps on walking as Jade follows.<p>

"Oh, hey, Jade," Cat notices her.

"I can't believe that you just left me there, but you're forgiven. I ended up having like the greatest night of my entire life."

Cat stops in her tracks, "Why, because we left?"

"No, because of him," She shows Cat the picture of Moose on her phone. "His name is Moose. He kissed me. We kissed each other. Yesterday, I said I wanted to happen and it did. Actually, I made it happened which is kind of even cooler."

"Oh, my god, Jade, I can't believe..." Cat trails off, looking away to see James Diamond and his crew come their way just like any other day. "Look perky, from Russia with Love at ten o'clock."

Jade glanced back and sees James coming down the hall with his posse, bouncing a ball of the walls. "That is your crazy obsession, not mine." Jade says before going back to her story. "I still can't believe I actually did it. You would've been so proud of me. I just walked straight up to him..." Jade is interrupted by Cat shrieking a little when James bounces the ball above Jade's head on the wall. "I don't know if I'm ever going to talk to him again, but..." Jade's had it and takes the ball, walking to James. "Hey, jerkoff, do you mind? People are trying to have a conversation. Go play "Look at me" somewhere else."

She rifles it down the hall where it bounces off a wall and swooshes straight into the trash can. Everyone looks at her. Cat denies, "You did not just do that."

"I think I did." Jade looks as shocked as everyone else. She grabs Cat's arm and they self-consciously hurry off. James watches Jade disappear up the stairs.

* * *

><p>Jade is sitting near the back. She's tapping her pencil as she stares out the window, clearly her mind is elsewhere. Her cellphone vibrates. It simply says "157". But before she can even react, "Miss West, the answer, please?"<p>

"157." She responds. The teachers, slightly annoyed turns back to the board as Jade scans the room. James looks back at her from the front row and holds up his cellphone.

* * *

><p>Jade is at her locker when James comes up. His bad-boy smile makes him a hard guy not to like. He suddenly says, "You're welcome."<p>

"Thanks. I owe you."

"I look forward to collecting." He steps into her personal space. Jade automatically backs up, but the locker is behind her.

"Um, you haven't spoken to me in two years. Let's go back to that."

"You smell very good." James said, sniffing Jade a little.

"Okay, crazy non-sequitur man, it's called bathing; try it."

"What do you give me such a hard time, Jade West?"

"Believe me; if I knew it was going to have this kind of effect, I would have never touched your ball. Don't say it."

"Something tells me we're going to be very good friends." He starts to lean in. Jade seems frozen when suddenly - a beautiful, but not very happy girl- Camille calls out from the end of the hall. She and James exchange a look. James turns back to Jade and shrugs.

"Well, uh, nice chatting. Let's try and never do that again." Jade says and walks off as James and Camille exchange another look.

* * *

><p>Jade is working at a hip vintage clothing store on a bustling street. "When did we get these in?" Jade asks, lookingin a mirror while she holds up a fairly sexy black top. Her slightly bitchy, co-worker Kelly looks up from the magazine she's reading behind the register.<p>

"Yesterday when somebody decided to take off early and left me to do all the restocking." Kelly remarks.

"Which is why it still hasn't been done," Jade says then goes back to the top. "I'm going to put this on hold."

"For you...?" Kelly asks. "I'm just saying that's not exactly the kind of top that likes to sit at home by itself on Saturday night."

Jade looks in the mirror again. Maybe it isn't her. She walks back to the counter and suddenly says, "Oh, turn it up. I love that song."

Kelly looks down at her iPod with its earbuds attached, lying on the counter. There seems to be no sound coming out. "You can hear that?"

"Sure. Can't you?" Kelly looks at her suspiciously, but the jingle of the door changes the subject. A handsome guy in a motorcycle jacket has come in and is going through the racks. Jade and Kelly exchange looks. Jade gives her a "watch this" and heads across the store.

"Hi." Jade greets the guy. The guy turns around. He's Beck, a tall, sweet good looking guy with kind eyes. Jade wasn't totally prepared for how cute he was going to be.

"Hi." Beck responds. Suddenly, the music comes on a little too loud and then Kelly turns it down. "I love that song."

"I just said that..." She gets cut off when she knocks over a coat rack. Oops, once again, so much for being smooth. He quickly helps her pick it up. Finally, she takes a deep breath and asks, "Can I help you with something?"

"I just need an opinion." He puts on a funky, knit cap that has little cat ears on it. "Is it ironic or just lame?"

"It's a little bit of both? But it works with the jacket. Are you a cat person?"

"Nah, I've just got cold ears. I'll take it." He follows Jade to the counter. She smiles at him again. She likes this guy.

"So, are you in college?" She asks, but when he doesn't answer right away, she rambles on. "I'm just asking, because we get a lot of people from the university. We ran this ad; you never know if it's working or not, because..."

"Stop talking." Kelly stops Jade from mumbling on some more.

"That'll be twelve dollars." Jade responds.

"Back east. I'm taking a semester off to help out with some family stuff." Beck says then takes the subject to the hat. "I kind of packed in a hurry."

"I'm Jade."

"I'm Beck."

"Every afternoon from three to six; in case there's anything else you forgot to pack."

"Then maybe I'll see you around sometime between three and six." One more furtive look and Beck heads out.

"I don't know what you did with Jade, but when you see her, tell her she needs to tag the sale rack." Kelly spoke to an absentminded Jade and walked away. Jade looks in the mirror again. She takes the top and puts it behind the counter. She kind of likes this new her.

* * *

><p>Jade is walking down the street, furiously texting. "No. You have to meet me!" Jade shouted to herself while typing. She steps off the curb without looking and "Watch out!" a bike messenger called out to her. He skids to a halt and looks back, but Jade's not there. She's crouched on the roof of a car next to where they should have hit.<p>

"How did you...?"

She has no idea. She's not sure how she got there either, but a smirk starts to creep across her face.

Jade is now sprinting down the steep, crowded street fast than she could ever imagine possible as she ducks giddily between people and obstacles. At the last second, she swerves and darts down an alley, careening off the alley wall, five feet in the air. She races forward, jumping over trash cans, just clearing a car as it pulls out in front of her. It's almost as if she's flying.

Ahead of her is a fire escape ladder hanging down from a second story building. She picks up speed, leaps of a dumpster and just misses the ladder. She sails pasts and lands in a pile of boxes. Crash! There are limits, but still, it was pretty cool.

* * *

><p>Cat, whose chopsticks are still in mid-air, is staring across the table at Jade, who is shoveling it in. "Wait. What? So suddenly you have like super powers?" Cat asked.<p>

"Jumping over a dumpster doesn't really qualify as a super power. But it's kind of weird, right? It's like this burst of energy and I knew I could do it. Oh, and I can hear things."

"Like little men in your head things." Cat wondered.

"No." Jade overhears something and grossed out, she says, "Ew, I think they just spit in that guys food."

She turns around and a waiter is setting food in front of a very unpleasant customer. Several cooks are watching from the kitchen, whispering. Cat pushes her food away.

Jade continues, "It's like my non-wish birthday wish came true. It's hard to explain. I just feel so different."

"What did you have for breakfast?"

"Spinach, that isn't a fortified breakfast cereal thing."

"Hormonal?"

"Yeah, no, that's a whole different kind of crazy." Jade responded.

"Obviously, there has to be some kind of explanation. You know other than you're a freak."

"And you're worthless." Jade responded. "I wish Carlos would've shown. The comic book King would be so into this."

"I told him not to come."

Jade questioned, "Why?"

"Carlos and I made out!" Cat exclaimed.

"What, when?"

"Last night. At first, it was just kind of an "oh-here-we-are-on-the-dance-floor-what-are-we-going-to-do-now" kind of thing, but then not so much?"

"You and Carlos...?"

"I know. But don't worry; you're so not going to be a third wheel."

"Wait. You just kissed and now you're a couple? I've talked to you every day, all say, since we were like two and never once have you said that you have a thing for Carlos.

"I kind of didn't know until it happened. Are you jealous?"

"Of you and Carlos...? Uh, no, I'm not."

"You don't have to be mean."

"I'm not being mean; I'm being surprised."

"I thought you'd be happy for us."

"I am. Was he any good?"

"Surprisingly yes...at first, it was a little awkward, but then we got into it..."

"Okay, no. I can accept it; I just can't hear about it." Jade cut her off. She looked away and saw Camille enter the building. "Oh no, there's James' girlfriend."

"EW, creepy, no," Cat gives Camille a little wave. "They're cousins; she's in my AP history class. And why do you even care?"

"He kind of tried to kiss me."

"Jade!" Cat squeals. "Did you let him?"

"No. But I did just shamelessly throw myself at the guy with the world's most beautiful eyes?"

"Did he throw back?"

"Yeah, I think he kind of did."

"Oh, my god, Jade, who are you?"

Jade just laughs and shrugs, "I have no idea."

The girls come out of the restaurant and head up the street. They're definitely being followed. Cat started, "Okay, we need to make a plan. First, wait a day and call bank boy."

"I don't know. That was just kind of a drive-by flirting." Jade declares.

"Two days ago, your options were zero and no one. He stays on the list and then there's James."

"His Slavic hotness...?" Jade questioned. "Let it go. It's never happening."

"Before you rush to judgment, you should see him with his shirt off. Fine, then that just leaves Kitty Hat."

"Now, he's a definite yes." Suddenly, Jade grabs Cat's arm and stops. She looks behind them and no one's there. "Sorry. I thought I heard something.

"This isn't going to become a thing, is it? So, what do you think if the four of us went out on a double date sometime? Would it be weird?" Cat asked when they stop next to Cat's car.

"First of all, I don't know if I'll ever see him again. Second of all, yeah, it'd be weird. But I still want to go. I'm really happy for you and Carlos."

"Thanks, me too," Cat gets into the car. "And Jade, try not to wrestle too many bad guys on your way home." Jade waved before walking away. She turns back one more time, but still, no one is there. She shrugs and runs of across the street.

* * *

><p>Smack! Jade lands in the middle of a sidewalk, and she decides which way to go for a moment, turns around and a fairy scary-looking guy is right in front of her. "Hey. Spare a buck?" Jade is startled a bit.<p>

"What? No, I don't. Sorry."

"Then maybe something else." And he grabs her by the wrist before she can get away.

"Help...!" She calls out. "Let go of me." They struggle and Jade swings at him with her free hand. AAAAH! The homeless guy screams and lets go, stumbling backwards, grabbing at his face.

"You bitch! What'd you do to me?!" He pulls his hand away and his face is shredded and bleeding. He has four claw marks across his cheek. He immediately stumbles back, trying to get away. Jade looks down at her hands and she has _claws_. Jade stands staring down at her claws. Crash! The homeless guy she just sliced and diced stumbles back over some trash cans. "Stay away from me." The homeless says and Jade runs away.

* * *

><p>Jade comes to a stop in front of her house, slightly out of breath, and looks at her hands. They're perfectly normal, but then she flexes them and the claws reappear. There's blood on the tips and they quickly retract. Jade hurries up the front steps to see Sylvia aggressively searching through the kitchen drawers as Jade comes in and washes her hands. "Hey."<p>

"It's about time. You have really got to call if you're not coming straight home from work." Sylvia turns to Jade, who suddenly hugs her tightly. Getting a vibe that her daughter's sad, Sylvia asks, "Jade...are you okay?"

"Yeah, some crazy old homeless guy tried to grab me."

"Honey, are you hurt? Should we call the police?" Sylvia wonders, concerned for her daughter's safety.

"No! No, it's so not a big deal." Jade responds. "I'm fine, really. It's just life in the big city."

Sylvia isn't completely convinced as she goes back to searching the drawers. "What are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for my exactor knife. My Wine-of-the-Month club boxes just came in and trust me, not a moment too soon."

Jade looked at the large, sealed cardboard box on the counter then at her hands. "I swear I just used it, well, a month ago anyway."

"Done," Jade calls out. Sylvia turns to see the box open.

"How did you...?" Jade just kind of shrugged as her mom pulled out the wine.

"I'll be up in my..." Jade starts to say but Sylvia cuts her off.

"Sit." Sylvia orders and Jade reluctantly sits. "But in honor of your birthday, let's skip the talk and just have cake, Happy Birthday." Sylvia sets a cake on the table between them.

"No singing."

"I'm not the singer. That was your dad's..." Sylvia catches herself. "No singing."

"Mom, it's okay. He left over ten years ago. I'm good."

Sylvia cuts the cake and hands Jade a piece. "So, in a 'not-snooping-not-judging' way, I noticed you came in a little late last night. Did you and your posse..."

"Don't say posse." Jade cuts her off.

"...rat pack, do anything special?"

"Actually, yeah, we did. We went dancing and I met a boy. Do not squeal, cry, or hug me! And I met another one this afternoon at work. He was...nice." Jade returned to her cake.

"That's it?" Sylvia asked. "That's all you're going to give me."

"That's kind of everything."

"I'm sensing more to this story. You don't seem very excited."

"I am. I just...I've got a lot of stuff going on."

"What do you have going on?" Jade glances down at her hands again. "Jade?"

"Do you know anything about my birth parents?"

"Jesus Christ, Jade. You're not going to cut me a break, are you?"

"Relax. This isn't a door slammy, you're-not-my-real-mother moment. I'm just curious. I swear." She responds as Sylvia pours some more wine.

"You already know everything I know which is pretty much nothing."

"There's no papers, no records?"

"Things were chaotic. The Soviet Union had just fallen. The Ukraine was a new country. Your dad was working over there when he saw you in an orphanage and fell in love."

"I know all this."

"I thought he was going to bring me home some of those stupid nesting dolls; I got a two month old baby instead. God, I wanted those dolls."

"But how did he get me out of the country? It doesn't make sense. What?"

"I think some money might have changed hands." Sylvia responded.

"He stole me?"

"No. He didn't have a choice. That's just how it was."

"But didn't dad..."

"No. You're father wasn't big on explaining himself, even then." Sylvia responded with a sharp tone and then her voice softened. "I'm sorry. I wish I knew the answers, too."

"Thanks for the cake." She kisses her mom on the cheek and heads upstairs. Sylvia looks after her concerned. Or is there something she's not telling?"

Jade walks into her room, dressed for bed when she stands in front of her mirror. She checks out her eyes and her ears. Nothing else has changed. What the heck is going on? She doesn't even know who she is anymore.

* * *

><p>Jade is absentmindedly staring out the window while Cat paws through a rack with Kelly standing behind the counter.<p>

"What do you think?" Cat questioned "Carlos loves the vintage rock T's, but his mom refuses to let..."

"Cat," Jade interrupted her. "I've known him my whole life; not new information."

Cat looks at her, responding, "Okay, what is the matter with you? Did you take a header into a trash bin or are you just coming of your crazy-amped up birthday high? And do not tell me you can fly because if you do, I swear I'll have you committed."

"No, don't worry, I can't fly. That would just be weird." Jade responded.

"Did you even call Bank Boy like we planned?"

"_You_ planned." Jade corrected her.

Cat sees Kelly looking at her, "Don't give me that look! She's helping me. I'm going to buy something." Kelly looks doubtful and heads to the back.

"I just can't figure out what is going on with me. Nothing makes any sense. Yesterday, I was so..." She stops when she sees Cat had took Jade's phone and started dialing someone on her phone. "What are you doing?"

"I'm calling Bank Boy."

"Stop," Jade demanded.

"Ah, it's ringing! Here." Jade reluctantly takes it and glares at her.

"Message," Jade mutters. "Hi. This is Jade. We, uh, met at the Bank the other night. Uh, call me." She hangs up. "Never do that again."

* * *

><p>Moose's cellphone was in his hand with its red message light flashing. Inexplicably it's on the floor. Moose is half-naked, lying next to it, eyes wide open and lips blue. He's dead.<p>

* * *

><p>Slam! Jade, with Cat's help, yanks the metal grate closed in front of the store windows and starts on the padlock as Beck comes up behind them. "You're closing early?" Beck asked. "Now how am I going to indulge my quirky headwear fetish?"<p>

"That's kitty hat." Jade whispered to Cat before turning back to Beck. "Sorry. I should have warned you that this happens a lot."

"Just know I'd planned on doing about fifteen minutes of humorous small talk before I was going to ask you this, but you want to have a cup of coffee with me?"

"I can't. Cat and I..." She gets cut off by Cat.

"Are parting ways because we have no plans together whatsoever. Bye." Cat then hustles off to her car.

"I'll take that as a yes." They go to a street park and walk along the edge of Coit Tower Park, deep in conversation. "He left when I was really young, so I barely even remember him. But four years ago, I found this old email address that my mom had hidden and I sent him a couple of messages." Jade says.

"Did he answer?"

"No. I doubt it's even active. Actually, I don't even know if he's alive. But it's okay; my mom and I make a pretty good team. _Do not_ tell her I said that. How about you? Do you get along with your parents?"

"No mom - just a dad. Our relationship is 'evolving'. My mom died five years ago and we've both been a little lost ever since."

"Well, here's to being found."

They click cups and their faces are inches apart. They're about to kiss, but a large dog starts barking and lunges for Jade. It's only stopped by the tight hold i's owner has its leash. Jade jumps back and instinctively grabs Beck's arm. "Ouch!" Beck groans. Jade's claws could've grown when the dog showed up. She immediately hides her hands in her jacket.

"Dang, you've got some nails. Dude, do something about your dog."

"She's never like this." The owner finally pulls the dog away. Jade is freaked.

Beck comments, "That was kind of random."

"Yeah, it was. Hey, I should probably go. My mom has this thing about me coming home. Thanks for the coffee." She starts getting up.

"Jade, wait, can we do this again?"

"I'd really like that. Bye." And she's gone. Jade, lost in thought, walks along the path but catches a glimpse of a man in a long, black leather coat standing in the trees. She stops and looks back. He's gone. Now fully alert, she hurries on but notices through the trees a hooded figure keeping pace with her on path about that she's about to intersect. She changes direction and heads down a different path then she hears a male voice.

"She's heading up. Cut her off." Jade immediately jumps the railing and disappears. Jade runs through the thick brush, ducking and weaving. It's twilight; the long shadows make it hard to see. Snap! She looks back. There's a flash of black moving through the trees. She's being chased. She jumps over another railing and lands on a steep path, startling a few pedestrians. She turns right, but there's another figure at the bottom of the stairs. She starts spring up the hill. At the top is Coit Tower. She ducks a vestibule. She catches a glimpse of a hooded figure racing past.

Jade immediately doubles back and heads into the building. She sprints up the winding stairs and soon has a bird's eye view of the park two-hundred feet below. The two hooded figures jog past, obviously still looking for Jade. One of them glances up and Jade immediately pulls back in, holding her breath. They didn't see her and start to move away. For the moment, she's safe. Jade lets out a sigh of relief. She turns away from the railing, but stops short because the terrifying-looking man with three scars down the side of his cheek is standing directly in front of her.

"Goodbye, Jade." He taunts with venom. She doesn't have time to scream before he violently shoves her backwards. Jade flips back over the railing, desperately grasping at nothing. The man is already gone. She catches a glimpse of the ground below as she plummets downward.

Smack! Jade slams against the pavement and then a woman screams, "She's dead." Jade's face is lifeless as blood starts to ooze out from under her head. Suddenly, Jade's eyes pop open. The scarred assassin is flying down the stairs. Under his coat, he has a knife ready on unsheathe. He bangs out the front doors, but stops dead in his tracks. There's a pool of blood on the ground, but Jade's not there.

Jade is running as fast as she can down the path away from the tower. She looks back to make sure she's not being followed and bam! She's tackled by one of the hooded figures. They stumble across the ground. Jade has her claws out at the attacker's throat. "Jade, no!" The second one runs up and takes off his hood. It's James.

"We're here to help." James declares. She looks up and realizes that the person on top of her is Camille. And they both have claws, too.

Soon, Camille and James have Jade by an arm and they're hustling her along, constantly over their shoulders to make sure that they're not being followed.

Camille started, "We were only supposed to be watching you. You know, to make sure James was right."

"I was right." James declared. "I told them you'd started to transform."

"But when we saw one of the Order's assassins lurking around, we knew we had to do something."

"In here." James said. He pulls them into an alley. James deftly leaps teen feet up onto a fire escape and scans the street behind them. "I think we're good. We're not being followed."

"Would either of you please tell me what's going on?" Jade asks as James drops back to the ground.

They start down the alley and out onto another street. "Jade, I'm so sorry." Camille apologized. "There are usually people who talk you through this. This isn't how it's normally done."

"What's done?" Jade shouted.

"Contact; your transformation was so fast."

James chimes in, "You were born in the Ukraine right?"

"Yes...but how do you know that?"

"Not here." James grabs Jade's other arm. "Come on."

"I think we're safe. We should probably keep moving." Camille says.

"No, no, no." Jade gets in front of them. "I'm not going anywhere with you until I get some answers. Like why is there a scar-faced freak who is trying to kill me? How does he even know my name? H-h..."

"Jade!" Camille interrupted her. "It's going to be okay. We'll answer all your questions, I promise."

"Well, here's one; what the hell are you?"

"You mean what the hell are we?" James responded. "We are Mai."

"Mai...?" Jade trailed off.

"Mai are descendants of an ancient race and sacred race, not completely human, not completely god." Camille holds up a part of her necklace, set on her chest.

"We were warriors. Now we're forced to live in the shadows." James responds dramatically.

"He's being slightly dramatic. We lead pretty normal lives."

"There are more of you, us?" Jade asks.

"There maybe a couple thousand in Los Angeles, but there are other Mai prides around the world."

Jade announces, "This makes no sense."

"You know what we say is true. Mai blood must run thick for you to transform so quickly."

"We didn't even know for sure you were one of us until yesterday."

"No. All you have to prepare for is just a tail," James teases, getting a punch from Camille.

"Ignore him. I know it's difficult to accept, but this is who you are." Camille preaches.

Jade is trying to process but James breaks the silence, "Do you regret being so harsh to me now?"

"Uh, no," Jade responded.

"So, who was the guy in the park?" James asks. "Is he your boyfriend?"

"That is so not your business."

"For a second, I thought you were going to kiss him. I swear I almost had a heart attack." Camille said, throwing Jade completely off guard.

"Mai and humans do not mix well."

James speaks, "I guess you'd call it a curse. We can't be intimate."

"Thank you. Even something as small as a kiss..."

"What happens in we kiss?" Jade interrupted her.

"It depends on the kiss; paralysis, death, sometimes paralysis and death. But don't worry, not for the Mai, just the human."

Camille grows annoyed, "James, I swear. Don't let him frighten you. You didn't kiss that guy. He's fine. We were watching."

Jade takes out her phone and gets on it before looking back up at them and saying, "It's not him I'm worried about."

* * *

><p>Police cars and lights, a body is lifted into the back of the coroner's truck. Across the street, on the other side of the barricade, Jade is watching with Camille and James. Jade has her hand over her mouth. This can't really be happening.<p>

"It's not your fault." Camille pointed out. "You had no way of knowing."

"I'm sorry." James says sincerely. Jade turns and walks away quickly. Tears are starting to stream down her cheeks.

Camille grabs Jade's arm to say something, "Jade, wait!"

"Don't touch me!"

"Please, just let us take you home."

"I can get home on my own."

"She means our home." James responds. "You will be safe."

"Don't you get it?" Jade asks. "I don't want anything to do with you."

"I don't think you have a choice, at least until we figure out why the Order was after you."

"Or how they knew about you," Camille added. "They normally don't do this."

"The Order...?"

"Humans as a species aren't really crazy about different. The Order are the ones dedicated to its extinction."

"They've been hunting us for centuries." James said. "Trust me; you will not be happy if that guy in the park catches you."

"Uh, yeah, too late, I guess you missed the part where he tossed me off the top of Coit Tower." A look passes between James and Camille.

"Just now, what happened?" Camille asked.

"What do you think happened? It felt like I broke every bone in my body."

James points out, "But you're still here."

"Sorry to disappoint." Jade snapped. Another look passes between James and Camille.

"Only the Uniter has nine lives to live." Camille started to say.

"That would explain the sudden transformation." James piped in.

"And nine lives to endure. Jade, I...we're not supposed to save you; you're supposed to save us." Camille spoke.

"That's not happening." Jade rejected.

"You have to come. Please. The Order knows and they won't stop. Many people are going to die."

"No. I'm not going with you. This has nothing to do with me." Jade pushes James away and he goes flying. "Leave me alone." Jade takes off running.

* * *

><p>Whitley Oliver, father of Beck Oliver, walks out of the building and heads for his waiting town car. He gets in the backseat and the door is closed. The assassin that killed Jade's first life is sitting next to him. His name's Hawk. Whitley doesn't seem surprised as Hawk says, "You're late."<p>

"I've been working."

"I found the girl. She's who we have been waiting for. What would you like me to do now?"

"What do you think I'd like you to do?" Whitley asked. "Kill her as many times as you have to."

* * *

><p>Sylvia is watching TV when Jade bangs through and charges up the stairs. "Jade, I thought we agreed..." Jade interrupted her by slamming her bed room door. "Okay then."<p>

* * *

><p>The shower is running behind her. Jade takes off her shirt and looks at her back in the mirror. It's completely covered in black and purple bruises. Jade hears her mom's voice at the door, <em>"Jade? What's going on? Are you alright?"<em>

Later, Jade, dressed but hair still wet, is sitting on her bed, knees pulled in tight, lost in thought. She abruptly hears loud rumbling and something charging towards her door.

"Jade!" Cat shouted, bursting into Jade's room. She looks like she's been crying. "You're home. I called you like a hundred bazillion times."

"It's okay. I'm fine, really."

"Why wouldn't you be fine?" Cat asked. "Carlos and I just broke up."

"Cat, I'm sorry, but I just can't right now."

"He was supposed to meet me at the Galaxy but didn't show. I bet his mom..."

"Cat...!" Jade shouted, cutting her off. "I just can't deal with you right now."

"And what do you have going on that's so important?" Cat questioned.

"How about this...?" Jade then pulls up her T-shirt to show her the bruises, but she see in the mirror that nothing is there. The bruises are gone.

"Yeah, I get it. You're a skinny bitch. What does that have to do with anything?"

"I think I died tonight." Jade spoke.

"Oh, Jade, are you okay?" She immediately puts her arm around Jade, but then Jade's phone buzzes. Jade walks over to the night stand to see its Carlos.

"It's Carlos. Should I answer?" Cat gives her a nod. Jade picks up the phone. "Hey, Carlos," But he doesn't sound so good when he answers.

"Jade? I've got somebody here who wants to talk to you."

"Carlos?"

* * *

><p>The assassin, Hawk, takes the phone away from Carlos' ear. "Hello Jade," Hawk taunts. "I believe you and I have some unfinished business." Carlos is strung up behind him in the corner of an abandoned loft.<p>

* * *

><p>Cat jerks to a stop in front of a semi-abandoned four story building. Jade zips up her leather jacket while speaking, "You should probably keep the motor running."<p>

"Jade." Cat called.

"It'll be okay. I'm just really sorry for getting you mixed up in all this, but I'll make it right."

Cat leans across and locks Jade's door. "There's no way I'm letting you out of this car without you telling me what's going on."

"Remember when you warned me about bad guys?" Jade asked. "I should have listened. If Carlos and I aren't out of there in two minutes, call the police."

"You can't go in there alone." Cat objected while Jade ran out of the car. "I don't mean I want to go with you, but you can't go in there alone."

"Trust me. I'll be fine." And Jade flashes her claws. Cat stifles a yelp, covering her mouth with both hands. "Wish me luck."

All Cat can do is nod. Jade runs toward the building. Two seconds later - Cat's car dies.

* * *

><p>Carlos is tied up, arms over his head, in a corner of this large, unfinished loft space, obviously undergoing renovation. Hawk is nowhere to be seen. "Uh, hello...? I don't suppose you'd consider tying my hands behind my back instead; I don't really have the upper body strength for this."<p>

"Carlos?" The elevator door opens and Jade steps out. She can't see anyone.

"Jade. Get out of here. It's a trap." Carlos warns.

"Yeah, I kind of figured that part out on my own." She starts to cautiously move across the room towards Carlos. "Hey, creepy-creep, you know who you are. I'm just going to take my friend and go. I swear you'll never see me again. I don't know what's up with you and the Mai, but it really has nothing to do with me, so..." By the time Jade could barely finish, she hears the faintest sound behind her and quickly steps back. A ten-point ninja star whizzes past and is imbedded in the wall behind her. That was close, but another slices her in the leg and she's goes down. "Ah!" Jade screams.

Hawk steps in view and pulls out a gleaming curved knife. It's both ancient and deadly. He taunts, "I know you don't think this has anything to do with you, but you're wrong. It has everything to do with you."

"Who the hell are you?" Jade asked darkly.

"I'm your executioner. I'll try to be quick with eight lives to go. This could take a while." He advances towards and Jade pulls up. She now looks mad than frightened.

"Newsflash, dying sucks. And I'm so not doing that again." She leaps up at him with her claws out. He wasn't expecting this. He goes down and she tumbles over him. They're both instantly back up. He advances on Jade, swinging his knife as she tries to retreat, ducking under the scaffolding. He lunges and Jade rolls out of the way just in time, slashing him in the leg.

"Now we're even. Oh, wait, I still need to throw you off a building." Jade taunted. But completely enraged, he launches another attack. Jade barely steps out of the way in time. Carlos sees Jade with her claws for the first time.

"Jade, that's so cool!" Carlos exclaims.

* * *

><p>Cat is anxiously sitting in her car, cell phone at the ready, staring at her watch. "One minute, thirty-eight seconds. One minute, thirty nine..." A man lands on the hood of her car. There's another at the window.<p>

"Where is she?" It's James and Camille.

"Cat, please, there's not much time. Where's Jade?" Camille asked.

"In there, fourth floor." Cat responds. And they're both instantly gone, running for the building.

"Camille, James?" Cat questioned. "Wait. Don't leave me here!" And she's out of the car, hustling behind them.

* * *

><p>Crash! Another piece of scaffolding goes down. Jade is still holding him off. He thrusts and Jade defends. She slashes, but he catches her wrist and gets an elbow to the chest. She lets out a gasp of pain and he flips her back on the floor. Before she can get up, he's on her. Kneeling over her chest and both of her arms are pinned. Her claws are useless and Jade struggles.<p>

"To kill the so-called Uniter will be the greatest accomplishment of my life." He says.

"You've got the wrong girl." Jade grunted.

"Perhaps you're right. So, let's see how many times I can kill you before you stop coming back to life." He raises his knife and is about to plunge it into her heart when James leaps in and tackles Hawk. Crash! Jade is immediately on her feet and Camille is right beside her.

"Jade, go." Camille ordered. "We'll get your friend."

But James comes flying back and lands at Jade's feet. It's pretty clear that James or Camille are not a match for Hawk.

"Get Carlos while I deal with this guy." Jade told them.

"No. You've got to get..."

"Now...!" Jade shouted. James and Camille scramble as Hawk launches another attack. Jade grabs a steel bar to try to defend herself. Slam, scrap! He flies back and Jade looks like she's finally about to clobber him when, "Jade!" Cat shrieks. She's at the elevator and that's all Hawk needs as he grabs the pole and flips Jade away. She slams into a pile of boxes.

"Not now, Cat." Jade groaned, sitting up on her elbows before jumping up.

Cat spots Carlos who's just been untied. "Carlos." Cat calls and rushes over to him just as a ninja star imbeds itself into wood just inches from Carlos' head. She kisses him, but when she lets go, she looks back at the battle that Camille and James have re-entered.

Even with three against one, Hawk still seems to be winning. Carlos grabs a piece of metal pipe and heads into the fray. Jade gets a kick in the chest. Hawk falls back towards Carlos.

"Don't worry, Jade. I got him!" Carlos shouts, helping Jade. He hits him across the shoulders with the pipe. But it seems to infuriate him even further. With one swift move, he grabs Carlos and throws him up against the wall. Cat, who is really mad, picks up on of the industrial lights. Hawk sends Camille crashing into some scaffolding. For the moment, it's just him and Jade. And Jade looks like she might finally be getting the better of him, but as he stumbles, he grabs a board and it smacks Jade full on. Jade flies back and crashes out of one of the arched windows. Glass flying, Jade lands feet first a floor below on the fire escape. With a gasp, she mutters, "Thank god that's true." She looks up at Hawk, who is looking down on her.

Hawk is at the edge of the broken window when suddenly Cat comes behind him with the light. Cat shouts, "Stay away from my friend!"

He turns back just as Cat slams him in the face with the light. It sparks and explodes and he tumbles backwards out the window. Hawk falls back, barely catching onto a fire escape railing before slamming onto a landing sever floors below and looks up at Jade. She sneers, "We're still not even."

He knows when it's time to retreat and continues to head down the fire escape and Jade takes up the chase. James and Camille leap out of the window behind her.

Jade runs out into the street, but it's deserted. James and Camille catch up. He seems to have vanished, but as she turns away, he steps out of the shadows and hurls a knife strait at Jade. The knife tumbles through the air, but just as it's about to hit, Camille pushes her out of the way. The knife hits her in the shoulder blade.

"Camille!" James calls out after it hits her. Jade looks up and Hawk is already gone.

"I was supposed to watch you." Camille muttered just before passing out in James' arms. Cat and Carlos come running up.

"Oh my god, I'll call 911." Cat yells and takes her phone out of her pocket.

"No! I'll take her home. We can heal her I hope." He tells Carlos and Cat before turning to Jade. "But the rest of us only have this one life."

"I'm sorry."

"You can't run away."

"I know."

Then James lifts his cousin in his arms and hurries away, leaving Jade standing alone in the street with Cat and Carlos.

* * *

><p>Beck comes in the front door of this very impressive house and starts upstairs, but stops when he sees a light on in the front room. "Hey, dad, I didn't think you'd still be up." Beck says, walking into the front room. His dad was the one that wanted that guy to kill the girl, Jade West.<p>

"Good day?"

"Yeah, actually it was a very good day." Beck starts walking out. "Goodnight."

* * *

><p>Camille is bandaged up and sleeping. James watches from the bedroom door for a moment before walking out.<p>

* * *

><p>Sylvia stops at Jade's door, but decides not to knock. She walks into her room and gets on the floor in front of her closet. She reaches all the way to the back and pulls out a dusty, old shoe box. She opens it and inside is documents and letters. All of them are written in Russian.<p>

* * *

><p>Jade's cell phone has a Missed Call message from Beck as Jade sits in her bedroom, staring at her laptop. On it is a message. It simply says, "TRUST NO ONE; DAD."<p>

Away from the house, the skyline highlights a lone hooded figure crouching on a neighboring roof, watching Jade's window. It's James.

**_A/N: So this is based off the Nine Lives of Chloe King. Sylvia is Jade's adoptive mom so she is not related to Carlos and her last name is "West". Camille and James are cousins, but Brooke is Camille's mom, not James'. Also, I just got this from my Jyder story based off Nine Lives so sorry for any names that don't apply to the story. This is an AU. _**

**_Jade West as Chloe King _**

**_James Diamond as Alek Petrov _**

**_Camille Roberts as Jasmine _**

**_Cat Valentine as Amy Martin _**

**_Kelly Wainwright as Lana_**

**_Kendall, Jo, and Logan as OCCs _**

**_Carlos Garcia as Paul Khan _**

**_Sylvia Garcia as Meredith King _**

**_Tori Vega as Mimi _**

**_Haley Ferguson as Nikki _**

**_Tara Ganz as Lilah_**

**_Brooke Diamond as Valentina_**

_"I am in love with what we are, not what we should be. And I am star struck with every part of this whole story. If it's just tonight, the animal inside, let it live and die." - Kesha _


	2. Crystal, It's Clear

**Chapter Two: Here They Come to Never Bloom Again**

_Synopsis: Jade meets Moose's brother and attempts to help him break free of his debt and looks for forgiveness at the same time. _

Soft rock music was playing in Jade's room as Jade sat on her bed with the laptop, replying to her dad. "Dear Dad," She started typing. "Please come home. I need you. Love, Jade." She finished typing and sent it. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes before she starts hearing creaking on the roof. She gets up and walks to her window, stepping out onto the roof.

She sees a hooded dark figure a few roofs away watching her. "HEY!" She yells and the figure starts running. She jumps of her roof landing on another roof. She chases the hooded figure leaping from one roof to the other. She sees the hooded figure jump down to a random roof and goes the same way. They run to a long roof of a building and the hooded figure disappears. Jade flips and lands on her feet, crouching, she gets up and runs to the ledge jumping over obstacles. She leaps onto the edge of the roof and looks for the hooded figure. The hooded figure appears behind her and she turns around then almost falls. The hooded figure grabs her hand when Jade yells. "AH!" The hooded figure turns out to be James and she has both arms around her waist and arms on his shoulders.

"James. I-"

"I could've killed you. Do you really want to die again? Don't be so careless with your lives." He finishes and they stare at each other.

**Another night to come alive**

**When worlds collide**

The next morning, Jade comes down stairs and starts talking. "Mom, goodbye, love you, leaving!

"Jade, do not walk out that door without eating something." Brook shouts from the second floor as soon as Jade gets to the door. Jade walks to the kitchen and spots an apple. Jade looks at her hand before grabbing the apple and gets an idea. She looks at the stairs to see if her mother was coming down. She pops out one of her claws and grabs the apple with the claw. She picks it up and the apple falls from the claw's hold when Sylvia comes down stairs beginning to talk. "So, Jade, are you- OH!" The apple rolls to the coffee hitting it making it spill onto the newspaper

"No, this is what I get for not making you breakfast. Go."

"Love you."

"It is seriously implied."

Jade leaves the house and Sylvia starts cleaning the counter.

* * *

><p>Jade, Carlos, and Amy are back at Coit Tower standing at the spot where Jade died on her first life. "I can't believe you really died." Cat said.<p>

"I know. And I keep trying to convince myself that it didn't happen."

A big puddle of dried blood from Jade's head was right in front of them. Cat touches Jade's elbow with her hand then takes Jade's arm. "Okay. Come on." Cat said and they walked away.

Carlos looks at the spot then the place Jade was before she got pushed off and died then he shivered following the girls.

"What?" Jade said when she spotted Carlos staring at her.

"Let me see them again. Please. I swear last time."

"No."

"Fine, you win." Carlos gave up as Cat sighed heavily. "I don't know what your problem is. If it was me, I'd be swishing all over the place." Carlos finished.

"Believe me, I so wish they were yours to swish."

"Why do you have to keep looking at this like it is some big negative?" Jade and Cat give him a 'did you not see what happened the other night' look. "Okay, yeah, I could see how the knife-wielding assassin might make you feel that way, but still, you're like a super hero."

"More like a super freak."

"You are not a freak. As my dad always says, what makes you different makes you special." Cat tells Jade.

"Running, jumping, claws, super hearing. It's kind of beyond the realm of special." Carlos speaks. Cat looks at him.

"Carlos, you are not helping." Cat tells Carlos, slowly signaling him to stop.

"But I am. I truly think it's amazing."

"At least one of us does." Jade says as she rolls her eyes. Jade thought for a minute then added, "Though the claws are kind of cool."

"See? She thinks it's amazing too."

"She didn't say that."

"Hey, do you have night vision? I bet you do. All cats can see in the dark." Carlos states/asks.

Jade smack her lips together then says. "I'll keep you posted."

"Oh, here's a question-"

Jade interrupts Carlos. "I don't know what it is, but I beg you- keep it to yourself."

"So what am I supposed to do? Ignore it? Forget it ever happened?"

Cat grabs Carlos by the head and firmly responds. "Yes."

"Some things you just can't forget." Carlos says.

They start leaning into kiss but Jade buts in. "Do not." And then gets up.

"Jade."

"I know one thing I'll never be able to forget." She puts the picture of Moose on her phone and shows them. "I just feel so guilty. I wish there was something I could do." Jade finishes then grabs her bag and walks off and Carlos and Cat get up and follow her.

"Do not do this." Cat said as they were walking and she and Carlos were holding hands. She looks behind her then continues what she was saying. "You can't keep beating yourself up. It wasn't your fault."

"I kissed him and now he's dead. Kind of sounds like my fault." Jade replied.

"Just because James and Camille said that's what happened?" Cat starts. "Besides even if it's true- which I am not saying it is- but if it is- though probably not. It's known it was the realm of remote random possibility." Cat finishes then Carlos speaks up.

"Not one of those things they bring up in sex ED, and I would know."

"Thanks. It's just going to be hard to accept. He was - he was a really nice guy." Jade responds. "Let's go. We're gonna be late for school." Jade continues and they start walking again.

"You're actually worried about missing homeroom?" Carlos asks. "Super powers are wasted on you." He and Cat walk ahead of her while Jade gives an offended look then follows them.

Jade feels somebody's presence behind her and stops. She looks behind her and looks around. Nobody is in sight. She starts walking again and Hawk was hiding behind a door of a building and comes out watching Jade walk to school.

* * *

><p>Jade walks down the steps of the school and James is watching her. He starts walking when he runs into Cat.<p>

"Hey. Look, I just want to let you know that if anything happens to Jade, you are answering to me." Cat warns him and he starts to walk away but Cat stops him and he slams her to the wall.

"Don't talk to me about Jade." He starts. "We're doing everything we can to keep her safe. I spent the last two nights on rooftops watching over her and Camille took a knife in her back trying to protect her. Not that you even asked but she's doing better."

"Tell her I said hi."

"If you really want to help your friend, tell her to stop being such a fool. Someone is out there trying to kill her- she shouldn't be at school."

"She just wants a normal life." Cat stated.

"Well, then tell her to get used to disappointment."

"I just-" Cat starts and her voice cracks a little. "I don't want to see her get hurt, okay?"

"I promise I'll do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen."

"Thank you." Cat says. "Is it really true that you can't kiss… humans?"

"That's a good question. Should we find out?" He says then teasingly leans in.

"No. That isn't why I was asking." Cat escapes his hold then continues what she was saying. "- Just remember, I'm watching you."

"I know." James said leaning against the wall with his arm crossed wearing a smirk. "Though usually you're watching my ass..."

"Oh, that is ridiculous."

"Don't worry, I won't tell your boyfriend." James says then walks away leaving a shocked Cat behind. She then bites her lip about James. She was watching his ass.

* * *

><p>Later that day, Jade was working. "You know they have little sticky guns to do this?" Jade asked, looking up at Kelly who was hanging jeans on racks.<p>

"This is _Vintage_. Stickers are for used clothes."

"What's the difference?" Jade rolls her eyes.

"A 40 percent markup is the difference. Keep writing." Kelly ordered, walking to the back.

The bell jingles in the background as someone walks in. Jade continues to write when that someone walks over. She smiles, knowing it was Beck without looking up. "Can I help you?" She asks.

"Uh, you can, actually. The other day I met a girl in here, and one thing sort of led to another," Beck says as he follows Jade, who is going to hang up some clothes. "And we ended up getting coffee together."

"Uh-huh?"

"We hung out for at least an hour?"

"Almost two hours."

"Almost two hours." He repeats. "And I occasionally tried that thing with my eyes..." She looks at him to see him doing the eye thing. She laughs. "And she occasionally did that and then she gave me that smile. Now here's the part you can help me with. The last thing I said to her was, "can we do this again sometime?" But I don't quite remember what she said back."

"She said she'd really like that."

"You're right. She said that. Man, I love it when dates are pre-negotiated."

"Really...?" Kelly asks, grabbing the attention of both Beck and Jade. Beck pretends to be a customer.

"Ah! What can you tell me about this fine Circa-1980s polyester jacket for...120?" Beck asks in disbelief.

"It's vintage."

"It's nice."

"You called me but you didn't leave me a message." Jade responded.

"I'll give you either; A, I panicked or B, I just really wanted to hear your voice on your message."

Jade responds, "I kinda like both options."

"So, seriously, would you like to have coffee with me again?"

"Yes. Seriously, I would."

"Good. Good." Beck mutters. "What time will Lady Longlegs let you out? Do you have anything slightly less flammable, like seriously?"

"You're getting me in so much trouble." Jade says. "Uh, I can't today. I've got dinner with my mom. It's pizza night. It's a thing. Don't ask. But um, tomorrow, tomorrow's good."

"Excellent. Tomorrow was gonna be my next suggestion. Maybe we'll even have a little food this time."

"Fancy." Jade commented. She starts to walk away, but turns back to him. "Call me. And leave a message this time."

"Most definitely," Beck answers. He leaves just as soon as Jade walks over to the counter.

"Sorry." Jade apologizes, watching him go.

"Please. Even I can't pretend to be mad at that." Jade's cell phone suddenly rings and Jade picks it up. It show's Moose's picture and Caller ID; she suddenly gets a scare.

Soon, Cat arrived after getting Jade's message. She and Jade sit at a table as Cat asks, "Did you answer?"

"Yeah, I did. I mean, it sounded like there was somebody there, but they didn't say anything. Then they hung up."

"You don't think it was that Hawk crazy trying to mess with you, do you?"

"I don't know. Maybe it was him."

"Give me that." Cat grabs the phone and calls the number, putting it to her ear.

"Cat, let's try not to piss off the homicidal maniac more than he already is, okay?"

"Would you let me handle this?" Cat asks, and then the phone answers. "Hello, who is this? I know you're there; I can hear you breathing. Never call this number again." Cat hangs up and puts the phone down as Jade responds.

"Wow. I stand corrected. You showed him." She continues. "You don't think maybe there's a chance that Moose isn't really dead? Or, you know, at least not anymore? Normally, I would think a sentence like that sounded mildly crazy, but now not so much. "Maybe," she said hopefully."

Cat grabs her purse and takes a newspaper out of it. "Jade, you know that if there's even the slightest chance, I would be there with you, but I'm sorry; that wasn't Moose on the phone." Cat places it in front of her and Jade sees a picture of Moose with the heading, _Teen Found Dead_. Jade exhales sharply.

"No cause of death." Jade breathes. "But it says he apparently lived an exemplary life. I guess he only made one mistake; he met me." She throws the newspaper down.

* * *

><p>Jade and Sylvia are sitting at the table, eating pizza. Jade is still sad about the newspaper. Sylvia notices that Jade is just picking at the pizza instead of eating it. "It looks good." Sylvia starts to communicate.<p>

"It is." Jade responded.

"Okay, if I just admit that I ordered the garden delight to be preachy and superior; could I pick off this broccoli and replace it with some of your pepperoni?" Sylvia asked, pointing to the pizza she was holding and to the pepperoni pizza in the box.

Jade comments, "Someone has to set a good example."

"Eat your vegetables." Sylvia takes a broccoli off her pizza and places it on Jade's plate. "There. Now can I have some of your pizza?"

"It's all yours. I'm not actually that hungry."

Sylvia questions, "Are you serious? I normally have to remind you to breathe in-between bites. Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, you know..."

Sylvia cuts her off, "What's wrong? Well, what Jade?" Jade sighs. "Uh-oh, nothing good ever comes after that sound." She continues as Jade digs through her bag and brings the newspaper out. She places it in front of Sylvia.

"I knew him." Jade said as Sylvia examined the article.

Sylvia gasps, "Oh, kiddo! Oh, I'm so sorry. That poor boy."

"I actually more than knew him."

"Suddenly you have my full attention." Sylvia responded, putting the paper down after folding it back up.

"I met him when we went to that club for my birthday...and I kissed him." Jade explains. "And it was my first kiss, you know, my first real kiss. And it was kind of everything I had hoped it would be. And, well, now he's dead and I don't know why I'm telling you this."

"I do." Sylvia gets up and walks over to her, sitting next to her. "Jade, I'm sorry. Life is sometimes just horribly, tragically unfair. So, just a kiss...?"

"Yes. Just. A. Kiss."

"Okay."

"Do you think it'd be okay if I went to the service tomorrow?" Jade asks.

Sylvia nods, "If you think it'll make you feel better."

"Will you go too?"

"Like I'm gonna drop you at the curb and give you bus fare home." Sylvia replied sarcastically. "Of course I'll go with you."

"See? I feel better already."

* * *

><p>Beck is hitting a punching bag, working out and earning some muscle. "Impressive." Whitley comments as he's walking in, ready to train Beck.<p>

"Thanks." Beck responds, pausing for a minute.

Whitey grabs some punching pads and slides his hands between each of them. "Wanna have a go?"

"Sure." Beck replied.

"Okay, one, two," Whitley instructs and Beck starts punching. "Enjoy your vacation?"

"I took a semester off, Dad. It's not a vacation."

"It is if you're not doing anything."

Beck punches, "It's only been two weeks."

"It feels longer."

Beck pauses, speaking, "This is the longest we've spent together since mom died."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Whitley asks. "I'm serious. What's your plan?"

"The plan...? The plan was getting to know you." Beck continues to punch.

"And after this get-to-know-you period is over?" Beck stops punching and pants.

"Jeez, Dad, most fathers would be thrilled that their son actually wanted to spend time with them."

"Alright," Whitley claps his hands. "Let's go. One, two," Beck starts to punch again, but Whitley hits him until Beck is propped up against the wall. "Come on! Now you listen to me. If you want my respect, you're gonna have to earn it." Whitley leaves the room. Beck walks away, slowly, and looks down at the floor, trying to catch his breath.

* * *

><p>It was the day of Moose's funeral. The bell tolls as residents walk in to mourn the death. Sylvia and Jade are already sitting in the chapel. "Are you sure you don't want to sit a little closer?" Sylvia asks, whispering.<p>

"This is good." Jade responds, a few feet away from the people. "I don't want to intrude. I just...just want...I don't know what I wanted."

"The back is fine."

Jade feels someone's presence behind them and looks at the door. Sylvia notices, "What is it?"

"It's nothing. Sorry."

Jade looks behind her again to see a young man crying and suddenly gets an empathy hit. The guy was obviously sad...and guilty.

"Jade?" Sylvia calls her.

"Sorry." Jade turned back to the front, but looks over to the back again.

Sylvia asks, "What are you doing?"

"It's just...that guy, he just...he seemed so upset."

_"It is a funeral."_ Sylvia pointed out.

"I know, but..." Jade paused.

After the funeral, Sylvia and Jade walk out and Jade hears a man shouting. Sylvia and Jade turn back to him and Jade secretly listens in on it. _"Lies you told me!" The woman shouts. "Your lies have broken this family apart!" _

_"I loved Moose just as much as you did." Moose's brother, the guy who gave Jade an empathy hit, shouted back. His mother slapped him. _

_"I will never forgive you! You murdered your own brother!" _

_"Mom, please!" _

_"This is not the place or time." The father bickered. "Gabriel, what are you doing here?" _

_"He was my brother!" _

_"And look at what you did to him. Last week I had two sons; now I have none." _

Jade starts to follow the boy after he starts walking once his parents leave. "Jade," Sylvia pulls her back. "This is obviously a family issue. It's none of our business."

"He needs to know." Jade responded. "It's not his fault." She escapes Sylvia's grasp and runs away as Sylvia calls her back. Jade reaches him when he sees Gabriel talking to a couple of gangsters in a distance.

"We don't like it when you don't return our calls, Gabriel."

Gabriel shouts, "This is my brother's funeral."

"Aw, that's so sad. I'm sorry I don't care." A gangster commented. "We just want to make sure you're not changing your mind."

"Jade." Sylvia walks up to her. Jade turns away, not watching from a distance any more. "Honestly, what are you doing?"

Jade responds, watching Gabriel get in his car and drive away, "I was just trying to help.

* * *

><p>As Cat looks at some clothing, Jade tries on some clothes. Cat comments from outside the dressing room, "I wish I would've gone with you."<p>

"I wish you had. Everything about it was just so _weird_." Jade said, walking out of the room. "And that whole scene at the end...what was that? And that feeling I got when I first saw him in the church, I just felt this pain...his pain...I can't explain it."

Cat responds, "You know maybe that's a cat thing. Earth-a Kitty can always tell when I'm depressed." Cat spoke of her pet.

"No," Jade turns away from the mirror as Cat puts an object down. "It was like...I was experiencing _exactly _what he was feeling."

"That's interesting."

"And wait, you did not just compare me to your one-eyed, deaf, arthritic cat."

"She's old. Be nice." Cat spoke. Jade scoffed. "And I think I did. I'm sorry."

Jade goes back into the dressing room, but continues to speak as she closes the curtain. "I mean, he thinks he has something to do with Moose's death, but I can't just let him go through life blaming himself."

"Oh, you mean like you are?" Cat asked.

Jade pokes only her head out, covering her half-naked self. "Cat, it's wrong. I have to do something."

"What? Jade, your mom was right; it's none of your business. There's so much going on that you don't know about. I know it's hard, but you have to let it go."

Jade steps out in a blue dress. "I don't think I can." She sighs as she walks to the mirror and Cat follows.

"Jade, there is nothing you could do_ even_ if you wanted to."

Kelly walks by and notices Jade wearing the dress. She pokes her head in and speaks, "I thought we sold that dress two weeks ago."

Cat and Jade turn to her. Jade responds, "Oh, I, um, I found it mixed in with the winter coats. People never put stuff back in the right place."

"Jade, don't make me regret giving you the afternoon off."

Jade turns back to the mirror once Kelly walks away. With a smile, Cat says, "I think you should get it. This one reads "coffee with hottie" to me."

"I should not be doing this." Jade turns back to her. "I am completely delusional if I think that going out with Beck is a good idea."

"And why not...?"

"Okay, in case you haven't noticed, I probably shouldn't be getting involved with anyone right now, and by "right now", I mean ever."

"Jade, please, don't bother trouble."

"What?"

"Oh, that's what D1 always says, "Don't waste your time worrying about stuff that might never happen."

"Wait, I thought Dad 2 was the one with the hokey platitudes." Jade says. Cat was adopted by a gay couple.

"No. Dad 2 just kind of rolls his eyes and sighs. But it's true; you have no idea what will happen. You might not even like Beck." She changes her words after getting a glare from Jade. "Okay, well, maybe you'll stop liking him. He could have some horrible, disgusting habit you don't know about."

"Fingers crossed."

"Or you might just decide to be friends."

"Oh, like you and Carlos?" She asks, noticing Carlos in a distance, waving to him as he looks at stuff.

"Yeah, maybe just like me and Carlos, who it took me 12 years to kiss."

"Well, you have been making up for lost time."

"It's not about me." Cat replied. "Just go. And trust me; you have nothing to worry about. It's not like he's going to leap across the table and kiss you."

_"Beck seems like a really sweet guy." _James hears as he listens in from a distance, sitting at a table. _"And going out on a completely innocent date with him isn't going to hurt anybody." _

_"I know." _James gets cut off guard right when Carlos swoops in in front of him, taking the seat across from him.

"Hey man, what's going on?" Carlos asks.

"What do you think you're doing?" James quizzes.

"Saying hi, hanging out. Hey, I got a Mai question for you."

James leans in to him, whispering, "Let's get one thing straight; we aren't friends. We weren't before, aren't now, never will be. And if I ever hear you bring up anything about the Mai again in public, I will personally rip out your larynx."

Carlos gulps. "No worries. I get it...totally. It's so none of my business."

James looks up to see Jade walking up to Beck. "Where is she going with that guy?"

As he turns around to look, Carlos answers, "I guess they're going on a date."

"You'd think she would have learned her lesson the first time." James grumbles, grabbing his bag and following.

* * *

><p>"Ha-ha, you did not." Jade laughs as she sits a table outside a café with Beck. They have already gotten their coffee and are seating by the nearest window only allowing James to snoop.<p>

Beck responds, "I did. But this wasn't just your average wipeout. I'm talking serious air. And it wasn't midway down a double black diamond. Oh, no, because that could have been possibly considered cool. By the time ski patrol got me down the mountain, two of my buddies had already put it on YouTube, so to finally answer your question; I do not snowboard."

"Alright, then, I will add that to the list of things we have in common." Jade responds. "Well, that and a broken collarbone."

"Would you like more coffee?" A waitress comes up and asks.

"I'm good." Beck says. "But could we get a couple more of these little almond cookie cake things?"

"Madeline's, you mean?"

"Exactly, some more of those please. Thank you." He responds as she walks away. "You'd think I would remember what they were called. I went to the American school outside of Paris for a couple years and got mildly addicted."

"Mm, aren't you the international man of mystery?"

"I hardly am. It just means I had parents who preferred me an ocean away at all times."

Jade rolls her eyes. "I don't believe that. You know, my mom and I actually went to Paris once. It was supposed to be this huge cultural event. We had this list of maps and museums. And on our first day there, we had a croquet monsieur, which is like this insanely delicious ham-sandwich thing, which you can find on every corner. I mean, we were running from stand to stand. It's really not that interesting of a story."

"I'm sorry." Beck apologized. "I honestly didn't hear a word you said. All I can think about is kissing you."

Beck starts to lean in, Jade too until she remembers what Camille and James had said. She gasps and jumps back, "Uh!"

"I'm sorry, I obviously misread that moment."

"No, no, you didn't. It's me. I just...I can't. I'm sorry."

"No, don't apologize. I'm the one who's sorry. I just thought there was something else going on, that's all."

"No, no, no, please, don't take this personally. It's a really weird time for me. It's hard to explain. I was at this funeral this morning..."

"Wait, wait," Beck interrupted her. "A funeral...? Who died?"

"This guy I know. Look, I probably should have cancelled."

"I do kind of wish you mentioned it."

"I know, I know. It just didn't really seem like the time."

"Yeah, it's okay. Um, let's get out of here."

"You want to get out of here?"

"Yeah," The two got up and started walked down a different street, still in sync of their previous conversation.

"It's weird." Beck spoke, hands in his pocket. "The whole death thing, it's not easy to process. I mean, one minute you think you're fine and then the next -'' He's not able to finish, not knowing where he was going with it.

"That sounds like the voice of experience."

"My mom - it's been five years and it's still hard."

"Was it sudden?" Jade wondered.

"Yeah, you could say that. She was - she was murdered."

"Oh. Oh my god, I'm - I'm so sorry." Jade apologized. "Do they know who did it?"

"No." Beck whispered. "We're still working on figuring that out. It's actually kind of one of the reasons why I came back home." There's a moment of silence. "I'm sorry, this turned out to be such a crappy date."

"No, no don't say that. I mean, it's - it's not - maybe a little." Jade chuckled.

"Listen, I don't know how well you knew this guy, and it's totally none of my business, but I'm telling you - do what you need to do. If there's anything unsaid or undone take care of it."

Jade crosses her arms and sighs. "Everyone just keeps telling me to forget about it and move on."

"That's not possible. I tried and I'm still paying the price."

"This has been the best crappy date ever." She puts her head on his shoulder as they walk some more. She's totally unaware of James spying on her.

* * *

><p>Jade opens her bedroom door, phone in hand, and turns on the lamp. She walks in and shuts the door behind her. She plops down on her bed and is hesitating if she should call 'Moose' back. She clicks redial and puts the phone to her ear. When she answers, she hears a familiar voice.<p>

"Gabriel?" She says out of the blue.

_"Who is this?" _

"I'm Jade." She answered him. "We need to talk. I think I was the last person to see your brother alive."

* * *

><p>Beck knocks on the door of his dad's office and opens it, but he is suddenly confronted by his dad's angry voice just after saying, "Hey, dad..."<p>

"Excuse me, I'm working." Mr. Oliver barks.

"I just wanted to talk."

"Not now." He responds. Beck closes the door and Mr. Oliver goes back to working. Sitting across from Mr. Oliver's desk was Hawk; he gets up and closes the door. Hawk walks to Mr. Oliver's desk.

"You should really be more careful." Hawk tells him.

"I certainly wasn't expecting him to be here for any of this." Mr. Oliver slams down newspaper that shows the article about Moose passing away.

"Tragic." Hawk comments as he's picking up with paper and walking to his seat. "There's one more innocent victim dead, because the Mai are still around to roam the Earth."

"You're sure no one saw you coming out of his apartment?"

"I'm sure.

* * *

><p>Gabriel sits outside on a hospital bench with Jade as she explains everything, leaving out the kiss. "So you just met my brother the night he died?" Gabriel asks. "Look, I appreciate the fact that you had a love connection, but I <em>really <em>don't have time for this right." He gets up and starts to walk away, but Jade stops him, getting up as well.

"Wait! It's not your fault."

"How do you know whose fault it is? They don't even know how he died." Gabriel says, sitting back down.

"Then why does your father blame you?"

Gabriel answers, "He blames me for everything. Look, do you even know why Moose was in Los Angeles?"

"He said he came here to be with you."

Gabriel whispers, "He came here to help me get clean. I was addicted to painkillers - those are a little too easy to come by at work."

"Then he helped you stop."

"He was amazing. He believed even when I didn't. My parents think I got him involved in drugs."

"But that's over?"

"Yeah," Gabriel nods. "I stopped using, but my access helps me make sure that a carton or two occasionally goes missing. I still have some depths to pay off."

"Who were those guys in the parking lot?"

Gabriel answers, "I tried to tell them I was done, but they...disagreed." Gabriel points to his bruised and blood-stained face.

"I can't believe they did that to you."

"All Moose wanted was for me to get out."

"Then you have to stop."

Gabriel looks at her and asks, "What do you really want from me?"

"I want forgiveness."

"I just...I wish that there was something I could've done."

"I wish that, too."

"You can - walk away. I mean, I know it'll be hard, but I could help you. We could get through this."

"Now you sound like my brother." Gabriel remarks. "Look, I wish it was that easy. I don't think the next time I bring it up, they'll be so understanding."

"Gabriel..." Jade started.

"I know. I know. It was nice meeting you, Jade. Have a good life." Gabriel gets up and walks away.

* * *

><p>Jade's seated in a chair as Cat and Carlos sit on the couch across from her. Cat's sitting up while Carlos lying down, legs on top of her lap. Cat speaks, "You can't live his life for him. He has to make his own decision."<p>

"But he wants to stop. He's already done it twice." Jade replies. "I mean, there has to be something I can do."

"There's not-" Cat snorts. "You know, short of taking on a drug ring." Carlos props his head up and he and Jade stare at her, taking it seriously. "I was kidding!"

Jade sighs and sits on the edge of the seat, moving from the position she was in. "Again, you know, we had this weird connection, like...like I could almost see into is thoughts."

"You might have mind control." Carlos suddenly spoke.

"What?" Jade asks him.

"Maybe that's one of your powers. That would be amazing. You know, you can make anyone do anything, like your mom." Carlos says as Jade playfully gets in front of him, closes her eyes, and puts her hand on top of his. "Do not make me do anything stupid."

"It's not like you need help." Cat remarked.

"Wait, I feel something. It's kind of tingly. I swear, if I end up on top of a cable car naked, I'm gonna be pissed!" Carlos says. Jade opens her eyes and looks at him.

"I was willing you to stop talking, so no, no mind control. Sorry." Jade chuckles.

"Jade, I'm home!" Sylvia shouted, coming in to the room.

"Hi."

"I found this on the front porch. I think it's for you." She is followed in by Beck as she watches Jade, Carlos and Cat turn their heads to her.

"Beck, hi," Jade exclaims, jumping up and seeing the flowers that Beck has in his hands. She chuckles.

"Sorry," Beck apologized. "I was going to leave these on the mat, but your mother was a little insistent."

"Oh, she can get that way." She turns to Sylvia. "Get out."

"And now I'm on my way upstairs." Sylvia pats Beck on the shoulder just before she heads up. But knowing her mother, Jade knows that she didn't go all the way up. She chuckles.

"The coast is clear." Jade says.

"These are obviously for you." Beck motions to the flowers. "Flowers just seem like the thing you give to people when somebody dies."

Jade takes them, "You didn't have to do that."

"And about yesterday-"

"Look, Beck, I'm really sorry. I should have never..."

"Wait, just let me finish." He interrupts her. "I like you. I like you a lot and I like being around you. And I don't want to do anything to screw that up. If you need time, take it. I'm in no hurry. I know that you and I are going to have a lot of dates in our future."

"I don't...I don't know what to say." Jade smiles. Beck leans forward and kisses her on the cheek.

"You don't have to say anything. Goodnight."

"Bye." She replies. The door opens and closes as Beck walks himself out. Jade looks down and sniffs the flower.

On the terrace outside of the house, Jade, Cat and Carlos sit outside as Jade starts to speak. "I know I have to tell him that I can't see him, but the second I actually do see him, well, I pretty much forget about everything else."

"And he brought you flowers." Cat cooed.

"I _know_."

"We're not still talking about a bunch of stupid little flowers, are we?" Carlos asked bluntly.

Cat responds, "Not the actual flowers. It's implications of the flowers."

"Flowers have implications?" Carlos asked. Cat just rolled her eyes. "Are you implying that I should be getting you flowers?"

"No. I mean, only if you want to." Cat twirls her hair.

Jade clears her throat and Carlos turns to her. "Get her flowers."

"Yeah, I get it."

Just as Jade's cell phone rings, Cat says, "That's just so thoughtful."

Jade gets up and walks a few feet away from them just before answering the call. "Gabriel?" She questions.

_"Hey. I just wanted to say thank you for talking to me today. You really helped put things into perspective." _

"I'm...I'm so glad."

_"You and Moose were right; I need to end this." _

"What about those guys?"

_"I'm meeting them tonight for one final transaction."_

"You're meeting them alone? No. It's too dangerous."

_"It might be too dangerous, but it's time I did the right thing." _

"No, Gabriel, don't do it! Gabriel!" Jade yells just as Gabriel hangs up. Jade sighs and lowers her phone as she turns back to Cat and Carlos.

"He says he's done."

"Why don't you sound happy?" Cat wondered.

"I think there's a chance they could kill him."

"There's a chance? He's the connection, the conduit, _the source_." Carlos says. "Those goons aren't just gonna let them walk away. They're drug dealers. Haven't you ever seen _"Scarface" _and _"Traffic"_, _"Trainspotting"_? Trust me; this is not going to end well for either one of them.

* * *

><p>Outside an industrial area in Los Angeles, drug dealers hop out of their car and look around for any cops before walking away. Across the street is parked Cat's car with Cat in the driver's seat, Jade in the passenger seat and Carlos in the back. Jade gets out and slams the door. She lowers to Cat's eye level in the car and ordered, "Stay here."<p>

"Jade, no."

"I'll be fine. I promise. I just want to make sure he's okay." Jade quietly sneaks up behind the bushes. She gets further, but is suddenly stopped when James leaps in front of her. She gasps.

"What the hell are you doing?" James asked bitterly.

"He could be in trouble."

"Why do you care? He's a drug dealer."

"He's Moose's brother. I owe him this."

"No, you don't. You have to let it all go."

"I can't." Jade runs past him.

"Jade." He calls her, but she doesn't stop. She silently opens a door and walks in, hearing Gabriel talking. She walks a little bit further and looks to see the drug dealers circling Gabriel.

"Last shipment of the week to be inventoried on Monday," She hears Gabriel say. "Take whatever you want. Thought it'd be a good going away present. Remember we agreed - hey - after tonight, we're done."

"No." One of the dealers replied. "We agreed that after tonight, you're done." He backs away only to take out a gun and point it at Gabriel. "What's to stop you from going to the cops?" We appreciate the gesture, but back or chest? It's your choice."

"Wait!" Jade shouted, running out into the open. They point the gun at her.

"Jade?" Gabriel questioned. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm saving you." She says awkwardly.

The one with the gun threatens, "I don't know who you are. Luckily, I got more bullets." Just before he can even pull the trigger, James pushes him into boxes, making him fall.

He looks at Jade and asks, "Really? That was your plan?" He kicks the gun away. "Guns can be a little bit tricky."

Another gun cocks and this one is pointed at James. Suddenly, they all have guns. Jade's eyes widen as she watches James backs up next to her, hands up in surrender.

Jade looks away to see Cat and Carlos poking their heads out and Carlos is heading to the light switch. "I have a question. How good are we at seeing in the dark?" Jade asked him. Carlos turned the light off, making it go dark for the others, but not for Jade and James.

"Jade, now!" James shouts and a full blown fight goes on. Jade knocks down one of the drug dealers and slams him into another. James kicks another guy in the chest and knocks him out, cold-blooded, after knocking his head on the ground. Soon enough, the fight is over and Jade calls out, "Carlos."

Carlos turns the light back on and as he and Cat comes out of hiding, Gabriel comes out of hiding as well. "What was that?" Gabriel asked. They hear sirens nearby.

"Did someone call the police?" Jade asked, looking at Cat and Carlos.

"I did before I let them in." Gabriel said. "I wouldn't have let them get away even if I ended up dead."

Jade walks up to him, "Your brother would've been so proud of you."

"Thank you." Even though she doesn't even know him that well, she hugs him. James walks up to her and pulls her away.

"Jade, we've got to go." They run out and so do Carlos and Cat. Later, they're standing outside of the building, James' jacket off and Jade and him speaking.

"You can't keep putting yourself at risk." James stated. "It's stupid and irresponsible."

Jade looked at him, turning to James. "Hey, I didn't exactly sign up for this. Maybe if someone had bothered to tell me that kissing humans would...I'm sorry. I don't want to fight with you." Jade looked at the cops.

"You saved his life." James says.

"We both did."

"Look, I don't mean to be a jerk, it's just...I'm worried about you."

"have so many questions. You know? I still don't know how all this works. Who knew about the powers, the night vision, all of it? You know, other than Carlos. And this - I don't know what you call it - curse, I mean there has to be some way I can just..."

"Jade, I'll answer any questions you have, but you can't keep seeing that guy."

"Wait, do you mean Beck? How do you know about...?"

"I've been watching. It's my job to protect you. And if you keep seeing each other, one of you is gonna get hurt." James declares.

* * *

><p>Jade sits at the counter, thinking, tapping the empty glass of milk sat in front of her beside the milk carton. Her thoughts are interrupted by Sylvia, whose coming down the stairs. "Oh, hey, I didn't know you were still up."<p>

"Oh, I'm just about to go to bed." She starts to get up just as the phone vibrates. Jade puts the milk in the refrigerator. Sylvia gets a box out just before looking at Jade's phone.

"It's Beck." She calls. She slides the phone down to Jade, who catches it. Jade ignores it. She notices her mother's curious look.

"Let's just say that it's not gonna work out." She starts to walk up. "Good night."

"Jade." Sylvia called her back.

"What?"

"Sit."

"Mom, please."

"No." Sylvia points to the chair at the counter. Jade sighs and sits. Sylvia sat down as well, facing her. "I'm not gonna let you do this to yourself. You can't let what happened to Moose influence the rest of your life."

"I'm not."

"You are. You like this boy; I know you do. And yes, the timing is horrible, but he did say he was willing to take it slow." She sees Jade's look in her eye. "Okay, so maybe I didn't make it all the way upstairs. It was your first big kiss. I get that. You wanted it to be special."

"It was special."

"Well, that's not what I meant. I just - I don't want _this _to be the story that you carry around with you forever."

"I can't just forget it ever happened."

"I'm not saying that you should. My point, and I do have one, is that love is a wonderful thing and you don't always know where it's going to come from. Now, I'm to saying that this Beck is the _one _but, honey, at least take the time to find out. I'm just so scared that you're gonna close yourself off, that you're gonna be too afraid to ever let yourself get involved."

"Thanks, but you really don't understand."

"I don't, not in this exact way, but I have learned that life is nothing if you don't take chances. Yes, there will be some pain along the way, but you never know what's going to come out of that. Sometimes can be something wonderful. Now go to bed."

Jade gets up and kisses her mom on the cheek. "Good night, mom."

"Good night."

Jade walked up to her room and closes the door behind her. Her eyes land on the open laptop sitting on the desk. She walks over to the laptop and sits, checking her email to see there's no new messages. The phone beeps as she picks it up and walks to her bed. Lying down, she answers the call to Beck.

_"Hey." _He starts the conversation.

"Hey."

_"I'm glad you called back." _

"See? That's what happens when you leave a message."

_"I didn't know that's all it took."_

"I, uh - I didn't actually say thank you for the flowers earlier."

_"Oh, it's OK. I felt it." _Jade chuckles on the other end. _"How was your night?"_

"Oh, you know, just..." She hears a thud and creaking. Her eyes follow the footsteps. She thinks it is James, but it's Hawk.

**_Next Chapter: Just Sing Along_**

_Preview_

_Jade sits on her bed, listening to "Just Sing Along" by Guy Leroux. Just as she gets done searching on the web, she sees a shadow peering up. Rolling over and grabbing her lamp, she throws it, but James is fast enough to catch it. Jade's now standing on top of her bed after getting ready for a fight. "James." She calls him. _

_"Hey, Jade." He watches as she jumps down. Handing her back the lam, he continues. "Hope I didn't startle you."_

_Jade turns around and watches as he plops down on her bed, putting his hands behind his head and putting his leg on his elevated one. "What are you doing here? I could've killed you."_

_"Not likely." He grunts. "You do seem a little tense."_

_"There's a deranged psycho killer still after me, so yeah, maybe a little."_

_"I can help you **relax**." He suggested. She crossed her arms, knowing what he meant. "No? Don't say I didn't offer." _

_"What do you want?" _

_"I thought I just made that fairly clear." Jade glares at him and he smirks. "But you do have a million questions about being Mai. Well, they're about to be answered." _

_"By you?"_

_"God, no. Our illustrious leader's back. She wants an audience."_

_"With me?" Jade points to herself. They're to in sync of the conversation; they don't hear the front door open and Sylvia yelling down stairs. "Wait. She wants to see me now? I can't go out tonight."_

_"If it's easier for you, I'm sure she could just come here." _

_Jade scoffed. "No, no, no. That is definitely not happening. My mom would freak."_

_"Oh, I don't know." They hear Sylvia as she opens the door and comes in. Jade's eyes widen as she turns around to see her. "My freak meter is fairly high. But there are limits." She sees James on the bed and puts her hands on her hips. _

_"Mom, hi." Jade says awkwardly. "Uh, this is James. We go to school together. James, this is my mom."_

_"Hey." James greets her, acting like he wasn't part of the problem._

_"Hey." Sylvia replies bluntly. _

_"Uh, we were just studying." Jade lied._

_"Yeah, I got that from all the books." _

_"And he was just going." Jade said, hitting James' leg. His eyes knit together as he looks at the spot she hit._

_James gets up, looks at her and says, "I'll see you tomorrow." He waves as he walks out through the door, not the window. _

_"You're home early." Jade tries to change the subject. She awkwardly laughs, knowing she's in trouble. _

**_A/N: Again, this was from my Jyder story based off NLOCK so sorry for any names that aren't in this story. _**

**_Next Chapter: My Heart Will Always Linger _**

_"There's a world I've always known somewhere far away from home. When I close my eyes, I see all the space and mystery." - Edge of the Ocean by Ivy._


	3. My Heart Will Always Linger

**Chapter Three: My Heart will Always Linger **

Jade sits on her bed, listening to "Just Sing Along" by Guy Leroux. Just as she gets done searching on the web, she sees a shadow peering up. Rolling over and grabbing her lamp, she throws it, but James is fast enough to catch it. Jade's now standing on top of her bed after getting ready for a fight. "James." She calls him.

"Hey, Jade." He watches as she jumps down. Handing her back the lamp, he continues. "Hope I didn't startle you."

Jade turns around and watches as he plops down on her bed. He puts his hands behind his head and putting his leg on his elevated one. "What are you doing here? I could've killed you."

"Not likely." He grunts. "You do seem a little tense."

"There's a deranged psycho killer still after me, so yeah, maybe a little."

"I can help you relax." He suggested. She crossed her arms, knowing what he meant. "No? Don't say I didn't offer."

"What do you want?"

"I thought I just made that fairly clear." Jade glares at him and he smirks. "But you do have a million questions about being Mai. Well, they're about to be answered."

"Wait, by you?"

"God, no, I'm not in charge of that. Our illustrious leader's back. She wants an audience."

"She wants an audience with me?" Jade pointed to herself. They're too in sync of the conversation; they don't hear the front door open and Sylvia yelling down stairs. "Wait. She wants to see me now, now? I can't go out tonight."

"If it's easier for you, I'm sure she could just come here."

Jade scoffed. "No, no, no. That is definitely not happening. My mom would freak."

"Oh, I don't know." They hear Sylvia as she opens the door and comes in. Jade's eyes widen as she turns around to see her. "My freak meter is fairly high. But there are limits." She sees James on the bed and puts her hands on her hips.

"Mom, hello," Jade says awkwardly. "Uh, this is Jade. We go to school together. James, this is my mom."

"Hey." James greets her, acting like he wasn't part of the problem.

"Hey." Sylvia replies bluntly.

"Uh, we were just studying." Jade lied.

"Yeah, I got that from all the books."

"And he was just going." Jade said, hitting James' leg. His eyes knit together as he looks at the spot she hit.

James gets up, looks at her and says, "I'll see you tomorrow." He waves as he walks out through the door, not the window.

"You're home early." Jade tries to change the subject. She awkwardly laughs, knowing she's in trouble.

* * *

><p>Jade gets done drinking the rest of the milk out of the cereal bowl and walks to the counter, grabbing her stuff as she wipes her mouth. "I love you. Call me later if you need me-" She looks at Sylvia, who has that "talk" look on her face. "That's not serious talk face, is it?"<p>

Sylvia nods, "I'm afraid she's back. Do you want a standing or a sitting?"

"Neither?"

"Not an option."

Jade sighs and plops down into the seat next to Sylvia, "Sitting."

Sylvia starts to lecture her, "You're growing up and I get that."

"This one has a preamble?"

"Jade."

"Sorry."

"I'm all for it, you know, pro growing up. I can't stop it even if I wanted to, but that means some things are gonna have to change. Now, I'm not saying that I don't trust you."

"Mom, I told you last night. It was nothing."

"And that may be true, but I think we need a new house rule. No boys in your bedroom when I'm not home."

Jade interrupts her, "James is _not _my boyfriend. He's really not even a friend."

"What about Beck?"

"No, no, Beck...Beck and I are..." Jade just sighs. "Believe me when I tell you, you do not have to worry. Nothing is or will be happening ever."

"Now that is something I don't believe."

Jade sighs. "No boys in my room. I got it. Are we done?" Jade gets up and 'OH's when Sylvia puts on another face. "Ooh, we're not done. I don't recognize that face."

"This is "my little girl's becoming a woman and I'm afraid of losing her" look." They get up and hug.

Jade replies, "She's not going anywhere."

Sylvia pulls away, "No we're done and you can go." Jade grabs her bag and heads to the door, almost getting away with not putting the dishes away, but, "Right after you put your dishes in the dishwasher."

"Oh," Jade groans, turning back. "So close."

* * *

><p>Jade walks down a busy street, texting someone. Despite how many people are with her, she feels a presence behind her. She ignores it and goes back to walking. But she soon feels it again. Slamming her phone into her pocket, she starts running faster, but just as she turns the corner, Camille drops down in front of her.<p>

"Jade, what's wrong?" Camille asks.

"I think he's following me."

"Who is?"

"The Hawk freak; he's back." Jade says.

"I was watching." Camille says. "I didn't see anyone following you."

"Wait. That was you?"

"Yeah, someone is always with you Jade." None of them notice Hawk listening not far away, hiding by the doors of a building.

"Next time, you might want to give me a "Hey, Jade, up here." But thanks." Jade adjusts the bag's handle as she and Camille start to walk down the sidewalk. "So how's your shoulder?"

"All better."

"Look, Camille-"

"Truly," Camille interrupted her. "I'm fine. You know you have to come see us tonight, right?"

"Honestly, I don't think I'm ready for it."

"Do not make me throw the whole knife-in-the-shoulder thing in your face. Trust me. It'll make your life and my life a lot easier. If you don't come to her, my mom will definitely come to you, and nobody wants that."

Jade stops her and mutters, "Your mom? She's the leader of the Mai?"

"Just of all the Mai here in Los Angeles."

"Okay, that's a little bit better." Jade sighs. "James made her sound kind of scary."

"Who's said she's not?" Camille smirks, walking away. Jade stays behind and stutters a nervous chuckle, hoping Camille was joking.

"Camille?" Jade questioned, following quickly.

* * *

><p>The bell rings as Jade and Carlos make their way down the hall; Carlos is begging her to let him go meet the pride leader. "You've gotta let me come tonight."<p>

"I don't really think this is a plus one kind of thing."

Carlos imagines, "I bet there's gonna be some kind of big induction ceremony with torches and chanting."

"No torches. No chanting." Jade says then suddenly asks, "Camille would have told me, right?"

"Why do you think she wants to see you?" Carlos ignores. "I bet you have to prove that you're the uniter."

"I'd be happier if she proved I wasn't."

Carlos continues, "Or maybe you have to fight her in a death match or maybe they're gonna kill you to see if you can come back to life."

Jade rolls her eyes, "Carlos, seriously, I'm stressed out enough without you going all graphic novels on me."

Carlos sees James walking by and calls him, Jade follows. "James, dude, you gotta hook me up. Can I go too?"

"Go where?" James questions. Jade face palms before letting her hand down.

"You know, to see your lair."

"What do you mean my lair?" He turns to Jade and remarks, "Why don't you just take out an announcement in the school paper?"

"He asked what I was doing tonight." Jade says. James, annoyed, just nods his head no and storms away. Carlos turns to her just as Cat walks up.

"That was a no, right?"

"Yeah, that was a no." Jade answered.

"What about tonight?" Cat asked as they followed Jade to her locker. "You're supposed to help me rehearse, remember?"

"She's going to meet the mysterious and leather-clad leader of the Mai." Carlos informed.

"Also known as Camille's mom," Jade added, opening her locker.

Cat whined, "Jade, you promised."

"Cat, there's a chance I could be killed in a ceremonial sacrifice. Give a little perspective."

"Oh, please. You have like a billion lives. You'll be fine."

Jade turns back to her, "That's the kind of reassurance I'm looking for."

"Singing one of my songs in public was your idea." Cat says. "I only signed up because you told me to. You said-"

Jade puts her hands on Cat's shoulders and assures, "I said that you'll be great. You're an amazing songwriter and I will be there tomorrow to support you. Do not panic."

"You'll be fine." Carlos puts his arm around Cat. "I'll help you relax."

Jade slams her locker and turns back to them, "Why is that the universal boys' solution to pretty much everything?" Cat shrugs and she and Jade walk away in different directions, leaving Carlos by himself. Carlos follows Jade.

* * *

><p>In the store with an entrance to the vintage store where Jade works, Beck sits at a table and opens a folder with "Oliver Capital" on the front. He scans the incident report about his mom when he hears someone approaching. He sees Jade standing behind the chair across from him. She clears her throat and asks, "Excuse me, is this seat taken?"<p>

"Jade, wow," Beck closes the folder. "What a crazy coincidence, of all the coffee places in Los Angeles."

"What are the odds of running into you at the one next door to where I work?"

"I know. It's pretty strange, huh? It must be fate."

"That _must_ be it." Jade pulls out the chair and sits.

"Okay, truth." Beck starts. "I wasn't really just in the neighborhood, or craving a latte, or in the market for a used book. Please tell me you know where this is going."

"I think I do, but I wanna hear it anyway." Jade responds.

"Do you wanna get together this weekend?"

"I was right." Jade chuckled. "I do like hearing it."

"Then I will say things like that repeatedly and often." Beck says. Jade laughs. "There's a new music festival and if you're interested, I think I might be able to still get tickets."

"New music is my favorite kind."

"Great, then Sunday it is." Beck replies.

"Yeah, unless we run into each other before that; I don't know if you know, but I am here every day."

"I think I heard that somewhere." Beck smiled.

The bell dings next door as someone walks in and not moments after; Jade hears a male voice calling her name, "Jade, you ready?" She turns around to see Camille and James standing at the doorway of the entrance to the book/coffee store. Jade sighs and turns back to Beck.

She says, "So, I'll see you. Unfortunately, I've gotta go. Bye." She gets up and walks out.

* * *

><p>Jade, Camille, and James walk up the street to the apartment building Camille, James and Camille's mom lived in. Nervously scratching her neck, Jade stepped into the building with them. Soon, once they got in the elevator, Jade started to fiddle with her knuckles as she asks, "There's not gonna be like a ceremony, is there?"<p>

"No." James answered. "I'd probably call it more of a sacrifice."

Camille starts to speak, "There's nothing to be worried about. All new Mai come here, even the ones who aren't the Uniter."

James teases, "Though it's best not to look her directly in the eyes." Camille just punches him in the shoulder; he chuckles. "Did I mention she's killed at least 12 members of The Order with her bare hands?"

Jade turns to Camille and nods with doubt, but Camille replied, "It's actually closer to 15." Jade's eyes widen and she turns back to the elevator doors just as the elevator bell dings.

They get off and head down to apartment 1803. Camille opens the door after unlocking it and walks in, shouting, "Mom, we're home!"

"I'm starving." James expressed, walking to the kitchen. "Got anything to eat?"

Jade walks further into the apartment just as Camille closes the door. She looks around and notices all kinds of weapons, ones such as a khopesh sitting on a shelf behind the couch. "Wow," Jade dragged as she turned back to Camille, who sat on a stool, and to James who was holding an apple as he sat on the counter. "The Mai are doing _okay_." She walks around, not noticing a middle-aged woman in a black dress walk into the room.

"Mom," Camille's voice catches Jade's attention, making the Uniter turn around. "This is Jade."

"Hi." Jade's voice is unsteady. Just as Camille's mother walks towards Jade, Camille walks closer to Jade's side.

Expecting to hear a cold, irrational voice, Jade instead hears a soft, intelligent voice when Camille's mother introduces herself, "Brooke." She looks at James and Camille then back at Jade. "If only we had known. I am so sorry for everything that you've been through.

"Camille was amazing." Jade says, noticing the disappointing glances Brooke was shooting at her daughter.

"I'm sure she was. But I wanna hear your story for myself. Come." She drags Jade away to the living room and Jade looks back at James and Camille. James just gives daggers to the apple.

Later, Jade and Brooke are sitting on the white Velcro couch, in sync of conversation when Brooke says, "You have lived so much in such a short time."

"Yeah, it's been a little crazy, but I'm happy now. It's good to get some answers."

"I just wish we were able to find you sooner, but you were born in such dark times. So many Mai were scattered and lost. It's part of my job to try and find them."

James walks in and comments, "Don't forget to tell her how I saved your life; twice." He walks away, chomping on the apple. Brooke turns back to Jade as she and Jade laugh a little.

"Though some of them I wouldn't occasionally mind getting back." Brooke starts to become serious when she continues. Jade stops chuckling when she hears, "He lost his parents in one of the slaughters."

Jade turns and looks behind her to see the khopesh sitting behind them. She gets up and walks over to it, "What's that? Is that Bastet?"

"I'm impressed." Brooke nods. She continues. "It's a Khopesh. Ironically, The Order once used it to behead Mai. Sometimes it's good to remember."

Jade looks at Brooke and asks, "Why do they want to kill me, us?"

"Ignorance, fear along with a feud that goes back thousands of years. But mostly a mistaken belief that Mai are a danger to the human race." Brooke turns to the fireplace and gets up, walking over to some kind of diorama of some green star. "Do you see that, above the fireplace?"

Jade walks over and says, "It's beautiful."

"It's the oldest piece I have, perhaps 3,000 years. It's about the coming of the Uniter. We've been waiting a very long time."

"Are you sure I am who you think I am?"

"I've never been so sure of anything in my entire life." They turn back to the diorama. "Uniter's have nine lives to live."

"Nine lives to endure, it kind of sticks with you," Jade says.

Brooke just continues, "Nine lives to accomplish much, but each life more complicated than the last, and each death more painful than the one before. I'm sorry, but I think you should know the truth."

"I don't wanna die again." Jade says sadly.

"I'm doing everything within my power to make sure that doesn't happen again. The Mai are searching for The Order's assassin as we speak."

"But what if they can't find him?"

"Then we're gonna take you away and put you into hiding. Sometimes with things of such value, there's no other choice. I'm sorry, Jade, but your life is no long your own."

* * *

><p>Jade walks up the steps of her home and opens the door, walking in. "I'm home, it's late. Sorry." Jade apologizes, closing the door and heading down the entrance hallway. "I kinda lost track of time. I just..." Jade notices that Sylvia is nowhere to be seen. She puts her bag down. She starts to look frantically for her mom like a lost child would in a store. "Mom, where are you?" She walks onto the opened terrace, but it doesn't look bloody or anything. She walks in only to bump into Sylvia, who she hugs tightly.<p>

"My goodness, what is the matter with you?" Sylvia asks.

"I'm just worried about you."

"And yet you're the one who's an hour late." Sylvia pulls away. "Did you eat?"

"I'm good."

"Alright," Sylvia walks away to the pile of laundry on the counter. She picks up a piece of clothing and starts to fold it, but Jade takes it.

"Oh, I'll do that."

"If this is your way of apologizing and avoiding a lecture, I am all for it." Sylvia says, walking to the counter. "So I got your text, but it was a little short on details. Who's Camille?"

"She's a friend from school." Jade answered. "You don't know her."

"Lots of new friends," Sylvia comments.

"No, there's just one. Ugh, but you would love their apartment. I mean, she and James just have the best set-up. And the view is incredible-" Hearing James' name, Sylvia puts on a strict face and turns around to face Jade, who pauses.

"Continue." Sylvia ordered.

"That was pretty much it."

"So when you said you were going to a girlfriend's house, what you actually meant was that you were going to a girlfriend's house to meet up with that boy from your bedroom."

Jade stammers a little, "Okay, yes, he was there. But that wasn't why I was going."

"Jade, I thought we didn't lie to each other. Now that I believe is has been a long-standing house rule."

"I'm sorry." Jade apologizes. She looks down when Sylvia turns back to the sink. Suddenly something pops up into her mind, _"Then we're going to take you away and put you into hiding." _Curious, Jade asks, "What would you do if I just never came home one day?"

"Oh my god, Jade," Sylvia exclaimed. "Why would you even ask me that? That has got to be every mother's worst nightmare. Every time you're even a minute late, it flashes - nice try, you're still in trouble." She sees Jade's eye roll. "I would spend every waking moment of every day trying to find you."

"Me too, if it happened to you," Jade smiles and glances at the whites. "Would I be in less trouble if I folded the whites as well?"

"You unload the dishwasher; we'll pretend it never happened."

"It's a deal." Jade continues to fold as Sylvia walks around to counter to stand next to her.

"Don't lie. I need to be able to trust you." Sylvia kisses her on the cheek and walks away.

* * *

><p>The next day, Jade walks with Carlos and Cat. Jade has just finished telling them on what happened at Camille's apartment the night before. "What do you mean take you away?" Cat asked. "You can't let them do that."<p>

Jade replies, "They really weren't giving me much of an option."

"Then we're not going to let them do that! Carlos?"

"Do you know how long I've dreamt of being swept away to fulfill an ancient destiny?" Carlos questioned.

"Sadly, yes." Jade remarked.

"He's not helping." Cat says.

"No, he is." Jade chimed. "Look, I can't take this too seriously, okay? I just have to believe that they're finally gonna catch this guy and stop him."

"But he could be anywhere." Cat stated. "I mean, is it even safe for you to be outside?"

"Supposedly I'm being watched at every moment. Maybe we all are."

"We're being watched at _every_ moment?" Carlos quizzed.

"Why, is that bad?"

"No, I just might wanna change what I wear to bed." Carlos says just as he stops and walks into the coffee shop. Jade and Cat trade suspicious glances just before following him in.

As they walk to the counter, Jade asks, "So are you excited for tonight?"

"Jade, you're being hunted by a deadly assassin, and you can disappear at any moment. Like you said; have a little perspective." Cat chimed.

"She took her name off the list." Carlos informed.

Cat gasped and turned to him, "I'm breaking up with you!"

"Cat." Jade called her and turned to get the clipboard. She turned back to the red-head and handed it over. "You're putting it back on."

"No. The idea of standing up there in front of all those people-"

"Oh, because you so hate attention?" Jade interrupted sarcastically.

"I'm not worried about them looking at _this_. But if I get up there and sing one of my songs, then the fantasy is over. In my imagination, people love them. What if in reality, they don't love them so much?"

"You're a crazy person, but here's what we're gonna do; tonight, you're just gonna sing directly to me, like in your room. No judging. And I will be right there in the front row loving every minute of it. I kinda need something like this right now."

Cat groans and grabs the clipboard, putting her name back on. "And I thought I was the bossy one."

"Don't worry, you still are." Carlos uttered.

"And we're getting back together...just so I can break up with you again." Cat says playfully

"Here you go, Jade." A woman says, handing Jade her coffee.

"Thanks."

Carlos gets Jade's attention when Carlos notices a middle-aged woman standing in the doorway, staring at Jade. It's Brooke. "I think she's here for you."

Not long after that, Jade is walking to a table with Brooke. "So this is where you work?"

"Yeah, it's kind of my extracurricular activity."

"People have been deciphering the prophecies for generations." She says as they sit down across from each other. "And no one ever thought to look for you in a used clothing store off the market."

"I'd be really okay if they stopped looking and just went away."

"That's never gonna happen."

Jade asks, "What if I don't want to be the Uniter?"

"That's like wishing you didn't have blue-green eyes. Some things simply are. Jade, I'm sorry if I came on too strong last night. I just wanted to make sure that you understood the seriousness of what's happening. You have nothing to be frightened of. We're here for you. And you're here for us."

"But my friends and family-"

"They might not fit into your new life. And there's nothing that can be done about that. It's for your safety as well as theirs. We might co-exist, but we don't truly live in the same world. Jade, you're destined for greatness."

"Why does that sound like the worst thing anyone has ever said to me?" Jade looks at the clock. "I need to go to work. I'm already late." She gets up and walks out of the shop, right across the vintage store she works at.

* * *

><p>Jade walks out of the dressing room with folded jeans and heads over to the jeans pile. She's unable to put it on the top, but then a hand helps her. "I got it," Beck says, helping her. She smiles and turns around to face him.<p>

"Thanks."

Beck follows her as she walks away. "I'm glad to hear the rumors about you being here every afternoon are true. So, Sunday...I don't wanna push my luck, but do you think you might wanna head out a little early, get some food in Sausalito? I know this great Indian place."

"Beck." Jade called, turning to him.

"I also know this great Thai place. See, I came prepared." He notices her hesitant look. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know if I can do this."

"We're not talking about lunch, are we?"

"Please, please, do not take this personally."

"It's probably not possible."

"I really like spending time with you, but I just don't think you and I can even really go past where we are now. I've just got so much stuff going on."

"Please." Beck stopped her. "Don't start listing reasons. I get it. You just want to be friends. I'm glad you told me. That's cool. I guess I just don't get why between yesterday and today-"

"I'm sorry," Jade interrupted. "But I mean it. I really do want to be friends."

"Yeah, that'd be great. I don't have a lot of friends here, yet. So that's good. But I should let you get back to work, alright." Beck straightens his jacket and walks out, Jade watching.

* * *

><p>Sylvia is buying a newspaper and hands her quarters over to the man, "Thanks, Neil."<p>

"You're welcome."

Sylvia turns, but bumps into someone and drops all her stuff. The man bent down to pick all of it up as Sylvia leans down and helps him while apologizing, "I'm so sorry."

The man appears to be Hawk as he hands it back to her, "Happy to help."

* * *

><p>It's nighttime and Jade is closing up shop. The gate slams close and she locks it. Just as she gets done, her phone starts ringing and she takes it out, answering after seeing that it was Sylvia. "Hey, mom, home for dinner. I swear."<p>

"_I'll let her know." _It's not Sylvia who answers. Instead, Hawk's raspy voice is heard in a creepy voice.

"Where's my mom?"

"_I'll be in touch." _

"Please, don't hurt..." Before Jade could even finish, Hawk hangs up. "...her."

* * *

><p>Jade rushed down the street, trying to reach Sylvia, and her face is tear-stained as she walks quickly. She mutters, "Mom, pick up your phone. Pick up your phone."<p>

"_Hello?" _This time, it's Sylvia and she sounds fine.

"Mom, hi!" Jade exclaims, gasping with relief. "I called you. Are you okay?"

"_Yeah, honey, sorry, I thought I heard the phone ring, but I was in the tub. It was that kind of day, the least of my problems being that I lost my cell phone somewhere." _

"Listen, I um, I just wanted to let you that I'm gonna be home a little late. Don't go anywhere, okay?"

"_I wasn't planning on it. _

"I love you."

"_I love you-_'' Jade hangs up.

* * *

><p>Jade has finally reached the apartment and is standing in front of Brooke with other leather-covered Mai behind her, including James. "Your mother is safe. We have several Mai watching your house right now." Brooke says.<p>

"I should be with them."

"No, Jade. That's exactly what he wants. He wants to get you alone. We still have the element of surprise. He's not expecting us to be on the attack."

"And we'll be here when you get back," Camille says, standing next to Jade.

"When they get back?" Jade shouted and turned back the exiting Mai. "Wait! Aren't we going with you?"

Brooke turns back to her, "No. I admire your bravery, but there's too much at stake."

"But I can't let you fight my fight." Jade argued.

"This is all our fight, Jade. You might have 8 lives left, but each one is more precious than all of ours combined." Brooke finishes and looks at the other Mai. "Let's go."

Jade stops James before he can even walk out the door, "James, you have to look out for my mom, make sure she's alright."

"You heard Brooke." James spoke. "They're on it."

"I know, but I'd just - I'd feel better if you were there. Please."

James nods, "Don't worry. I'll go."

Camille walks back into the apartment from following the Mai out and closing the door behind her, locking it.

* * *

><p>Cat taps her foot anxiously as she grips onto Carlos' hand. They sit next to each other, waiting for Jade to arrive when Cat thinks of the worst. Breaking the utter silence between them, Cat says, "She's gone, isn't she? She's locked up in some cave somewhere."<p>

"She would've called."

Cat snaps, "They don't get phone reception in caves. She'd better not be gone, because this whole stupid thing was _her_ idea."

"It was her idea?" Carlos questioned. "You've been talking about this for months. Do you know how many conversations we've had just about what you were going to wear?"

"Your job right now is to nod sympathetically and agree with me."

Carlos replies, "You know, for a very small person, you're unusually strong."

Cat lets go after seeing that Robbie's hand was turning red, "Sorry."

"It's Jade." Carlos continued. "You know she'd be here if she could." Cat's cell phone rings and she takes it out of her purse.

She answers it and asks, "Jade, where are you? Are you alright?"

"_I'm so sorry. Something came up with my mom. I'll tell you about it later." _

"I don't believe you."

"_Cat." _

"No. Are you in trouble? I can hear it in your voice. It's not like I don't know you. Can we help?"

"_Cat, listen. What would help me right now is if you went up there and just blew everyone away. That would oddly really help me right now." _

"I'll do my best. Thanks, Jade." Cat pulls away her phone and sees that the call's ended. She puts it up, and turns to Carlos.

"Is she okay?" Carlos asked.

"I don't know. But I was supposed to sing to her. It's sort of what I planned."

"So sing to me instead." Carlos encouraged. "I'll be right here. It'll just be the two of us."

"You always laugh when I sing you one of my songs, always."

"I won't, not this time. I promise."

* * *

><p>Jade is looking at some kind of drawing. It's has some possible Mai being killed or the Mai killing the order. She's examining it so long; she doesn't even notice Camille walk over. "That's one of the earliest depictions of the order, doing what they do best; hunting Mai." Camille explained. "There never were any lions in England. Humans tend to be super literal. Why didn't you tell Cat what was going on?"<p>

Jade turned to her, "I didn't want her to worry. If she knew I was locked away in a tower hiding from Hawk, she'd be here in two seconds kicking down the door." Camille raised her eyebrows. "She's my best friend."

"I get it." Camille puts on a seemingly fake smile.

"Thanks for watching out for me, again."

"I eat popcorn when I'm nervous." Camille said.

"Then I hope you have a lot." Jade follows Camille into the kitchen and leans against the counter. Breaking the silence, Jade continues. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to my mom or if I could never see her again. I went away to Camp Wonky Donkey once for two weeks when I was 10, and I think she called a hundred times. The camp was not happy." She chuckled.

Camille replies, "My mom went away once for three months and called twice." She notices that Jade's feeling sorry for her. "It's alright. I don't need her to hold my hand."

"But sometimes it's nice."

"Everybody's different. She's just tough on me, because she always wants me to do my best." They turn their attention on to the popcorn. "Do you want butter or no butter?"

"Butter, please."

* * *

><p>Cat is at the microphone, strumming the guitar and singing "You'll Never Be Alone" by Grace Phipps. As she continues singing, the crowd watches on with admiration. Carlos stares at her and she looks at him. He smiles and a couple of tears roll down his cheeks.<p>

* * *

><p>Jade is staring at the pieces of the Green Star from the first night Jade had met Brooke. She's interrupted by the sound of her phone ringing and sees it's an unknown number. "Hello." She answers. She can hear Cat's singing on the other end.<p>

She recognizes it and threatens, "Stay away from her."

"_No one in your life will ever be safe."_

"What do you want?"

"I want to see you...alone."

"Just tell me where." Jade hangs up after Hawk tells her. She hears the microwave beep and Camille's footsteps.

"I think it's done." Camille says, walking to the microwave. Jade just needed to find out how to get out without Camille even noticing. Jade casually walks over to the counter as Camille gets out the popcorn along with two bowls. She notices Jade's expression. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, that was just Carlos checking in to let me know how it's going." Jade's phone starts to ring again as Camille pours in the popcorn.

"You're popular." Camille replied with a smile, looking at her for a second. Jade looked at the phone to see that it was Beck. Beck was her only way out of this.

Jade sighs and answers with a, "Hello."

_Beck answers, "Look, so I ended up getting those tickets and I'm not gonna use them, so if you have somebody to go with..." _She hears tires screech on the other end with a honking horn. _"How about you use a blinker next time? Sorry. Uh, so let me know. I'll leave them for you at work."_

Jade walks far away from the spot Camille's in and responds before Beck can even hang up, "Where are you?"

* * *

><p>Jade runs out of the apartment building as fast as she could, hoping that Camille wasn't following. Panting, she gets in Beck's car. "We need to go." She rushed. "Come on."<p>

Beck drives off as she puts on her seat belt. While they drive down the road to where Jade needed to go, there's complete silence. Hesitating a little, Beck asks, "Did I miss something this afternoon?"

"What?" Jade looked at him.

"I mean, you dump me and two hours later you ask me for a ride."

"Beck," Jade called.

"Never mind," Beck started to change the subject. "It wasn't really a question. Your friend doesn't live in a very good neighborhood."

"I didn't dump you." Jade replied.

"Friends," Beck spoke.

"I know. I didn't mean to hurt you and I wasn't lying. I just, I didn't know what else to say. I didn't want to lead you on."

Beck assumed, "You have a boyfriend."

"No. No, Beck, no, I don't. I like being with you. I like talking to you. I just...I just don't think I can do more than that and that in mind came out as friends, which I totally meant." Jade finished her speech just as soon as they got to the place she was meeting Hawk. "Alright, stop here. This is it."

Beck's car parks into place as Jade unbuckles the seatbelt. Beck questioned, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks for the ride." Jade gets out just as Beck starts to offer to walk her in. Before closing the door, Jade meets him at eye level and continues. "No. This is something I have to do...alone." Jade runs down the side walk. Beck gets out of the car to say something, but Jade's already gone.

* * *

><p>Jade squats on the highest scaffolding, glaring at Hawk, who chuckles. In amusement, Hawk smirks and says, "You found me."<p>

Jade jumps down from the scaffolding just as Hawk turns out to see her feisty stare. "It was easy. All you have to do is just look for the skuzziest place imaginable and there you are."

"It's nice to see you again, Jade."

"That's funny." Jade smirked. "I was just thinking about how horrible it is to see you. This ends now." Jade runs up to him, but steps on a trap only for her to be knocked out cold.

Next time she wakes up, her visions a little blurry but she can certainly see Hawk standing over her. She looks to see that she is tied up with chains right next to a pool. Hawk was going to drown her and her eight lives.

Hawk starts to taunt her, "You pose an interesting problem. You have eight lives left. Every time you come back to life, you'll gasp for air, but there won't be any. I suggest you make this last one count."

Jade gasps as Hawk kicks her into the pool. She starts to struggle, but the chains are no match for her. Not even making her eyes turn to "cat-like irises" work. As she's struggling, she notices someone sneak behind Hawk and hit him with a crowbar.

It's Camille. She tussles with him just as he whips out a knife. She kicks it out of his hand before knocking him into some boxes. Camille scratches him, giving him claw marks and remarks, "Looks like the hawk doesn't get his dinner this time."

Camille knocks out Hawk before running to the pool. She grabs Jade just as Hawk comes back to. "We gotta get out of here." Camille unchains her and helps Jade out of the pool just before they run outside into the pouring rain. They run to a shelter, but the doors are locked.

"Go back." But they freeze in their tracks when they see Hawk standing there, a gun in his hand.

"You were right about one thing: this ends now!" Hawk yelled. "Goodbye, Jade!"

"Camille, no!" Camille gets in front of Jade just as he's about to shoot, but Hawk drops the gun and collapses. Brooke appears to have stabbed him with the khopesh. Hawk was dead. Brooke holds up the weapon in an angry mood.

"Apparently, my orders weren't very clear!" Brooke yelled. She puts the weapon back in her sash before walking over to the two soaked girls.

"I'm sorry." Camille apologized. "There wasn't time..."

"You did well." Brooke told her before looking at Jade with a disapproving expression.

Jade steps up closer and starts to apologize, "Look, this is my fault. I'm sorry, but I didn't have much of a choice."

"Well, maybe next time you'll listen to me. Sooner or later, you're going to have to accept who you are. But you're young; you'll learn. It's over now. Let's go home." Brooke notices Jade's glare as Brooke reaches to pet her hair. Jade moves Brooke's hand away and walks away. "Jade!"

Jade turns around to face Brooke, "You said we should go home, so that's where I'm going."

"Jade!" Camille calls for her, but Brooke stops her.

* * *

><p>Jade walks up to Beck's car, pleased to know he waited. She opens the door and gets in, slightly smiling at him. "You waited for me." Jade buckles up as he smiles and starts to drive, handing her the phone after she left it in the car.<p>

* * *

><p>After the event at the coffee place that night, Carlos and Cat sit at one of the tables, holding hands across from each other. Carlos cheered, "You were amazing. And I say that not as boyfriend, but just regular me."<p>

"Thanks." Cat smiled. "But I don't mind hearing from boyfriend you, who was crying like a giant baby." She teased, picking up her cup and taking a sip from it.

"You could see that?"

"You were in the front row. It was very sweet."

As Cat took another sip, Carlos gulped before saying, "I stabbed in the leg with a fork." Cat nearly chokes on her drink. "I was afraid I was going to laugh and wanted it to be perfect. Don't be mad."

"How could I be mad? That's the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me." The two smile before leaning in to kiss.

"It really hurt." Carlos uttered. Cat chuckled and leaned in to give him another kiss.

* * *

><p>Beck pulls up to Jade's house and gently shakes her awake. She opens her eyes to see that she's finally home where she can feel safe again. "Thanks for the ride." Jade unbuckles herself and gets out.<p>

Before she closes the door, Beck responds, "So you really wanna go on Sunday?"

"Yeah, I really do."

"Alright, then I'll see you Sunday."

"Bye." Jade closes the door and starts to walk up the porch steps when James walks up. She spots him. "James."

"I heard what happened."

"You've been here this whole time?"

"Of course I have. You asked me to." James says goodbye and runs away. Jade looks back and forth from Beck's car to James before she walks into the house.

Later, after Jade has taken her shower and gotten dressed, she comes back with a hairbrush and sits on the couch with Sylvia as Sylvia brushes her hair. Hawk was dead, and Jade was finally safe again.

"So why did you ask me that question yesterday?" Sylvia wondered. "You're not planning on going anywhere, are you?"

"Nope, no such luck. I think you're stuck with me."

"So is everything really okay with you, kiddo?"

"Nothing that curling up with my mom won't make better," Jade says lying down as Sylvia wraps her arms around her.

* * *

><p><strong>Next Chapter: Free as a Spirit - James and Camille begin Jade's training while Jade tries balances her friendship with Cat and handle her duties as Uniter.<strong>

_"We kick around placing our bets on the evening. We kick around hanging our secrets out for sale. We kick around sticking it out in the darkness. We waste our time when we could be righting every wrong." Perfect Games by The Broken West _


	4. Free as a Spirit

**Chapter Four: Free as a Spirit**

_Synopsis: James and Camille begin training Jade for her battles against the Order while Jade tries to balance her friendship with Cat and her new duties as Uniter._

* * *

><p>The night is quiet as Jade scours through the rooftops with James and Camille ahead of her. It was the night when Jade's training officially began, and it wasn't something she was excited about. James and Camille are way faster as they jump a small roof.<p>

Jade, being the last one to land, tiredly calls, "Hey, wait up!" Camille and James run a little bit further before Camille stops, halting James and they turn around as Jade catches up to them.

"You're doing great." Camille encouraged.

James remarks, "I don't think an assassin will give you a time out to catch your breath, though. At least none of the assassins I know."

"That's why we're training." Camille replied. "But you can't keep stopping to look for obstacles. You just have to assume they're going to be there and improvise."

"I got it; assume invisible obstacles." Jade answered.

"The Order won't tell you where the knives are gonna land." Camille said.

"That's why you're such a good teacher. You're always bringing it back to a practical application."

James turns Camille and asks, "Do you think she's ready?"

"I don't know." Camille smirked. "I'm gonna say yes, but there's only one way to find out." Camille and James start running again.

"Wait!" Jade yelled. "How come my opinion doesn't count for anything?" Jade asked before running to catch up with them. James and Camille jump off the ledge of the roof and land on the roof next to it. Jade, however, stops when she reaches the ledge, not wanting to jump. "I'm thinking I'm not!"

"Jade, you can do this!" Camille exhilarated. "I promise. Back up and try again."

James spoke, "Stop acting like a little scaredy-human!"

"What if I am a scaredy-human?" Jade exclaimed.

Camille coached, "No, you're Mai, so stop thinking and start using your instinct."

"I am and my instincts are telling me you people are crazy!" Jade shouted.

"If James can do it, then I'm pretty sure you can." Camille challenged.

James just looked at Camille before looking at Jade, who was backing up. The two trainers give room for Jade to land as Jade starts to leap off. But Jade's not so lucky. She catches the ledge of the other roof, dangling from the rooftop. James rushes to help her and get her up where she sits on the ground.

James commented, "It generally hurts less if you actually jump all the way across."

"You didn't trust yourself. Next time you might not be so lucky." Camille advised.

"There won't be a next time." Jade starts to stand up.

"Come on," Camille ordered. "We got a lot more work to do." Before Jade continues, she looks at the hole ripped into her jeans and then down the bottomless pit she almost fell into. Sighing, she runs off to continue her training.

* * *

><p>Hiding her aching legs, Jade quietly grunts as she heads down the stairs, ready for another day of school. "Morning," Jade called out. Sylvia comes out from the other room holding a long piece of paper rolled up.<p>

"I made your favorite - cereal and bow."

"Oh, excellent, I was actually craving...unfrosted corn byproducts?" Jade looks down at the bowl to become unsatisfied. "I thought I was supposed to enjoy my youth. What happened to that box of sugary deliciousness?"

"It went down your mother's gullet at eleven o'clock last night. You're not the only one with cravings. I think I'm gonna be late tonight."

"It's okay. It's Wednesday."

Sylvia gasps, "Ah, dinner with the dos amigos, yeah. Are you going to Cat's this week?"

"I think hamburgers are the plan."

"I'm already jealous." Sylvia sung as Jade took a bite of cereal. Sylvia is about to leave when she remembers seeing the hole in Jade's pants. "Oh and, Jade, what were you doing last night, exactly? I found your jeans on the bathroom floor with a huge hole in them."

Jade coughs before looking at her. "Uh, you know me, the wild child, slinking down alleys, running across rooftops. I tripped over the recycling bin coming in the side."

"How many times have I told you that area of the..." Sylvia scolded. Instead of getting into a deep lecture, she just sighed and put her shoulder strap on her shoulder. "The "are you okay" is implied is the "I love you"."

"It always is, and I'm fine."

"Have a good day." Sylvia said before leaving to go to work. Jade took another bite of her cereal. Disgusted, she groaned and pushed the bowl back a little.

* * *

><p>Jade has a devious look on her face as she walks down the school hallway, schoolbag draped over her shoulder with a couple of books in hand. Her increased hearing had come in and she was listening in on all the nasty things people were saying. She eavesdropped on conversations left and right before she heard a familiar voice behind her, talking to her directly. She turned to see James and dropped her books. Jade groans, "I swear I'm gonna tie a bell around your neck. Stop sneaking up on me."<p>

She starts to pick up her books. James helps as he replies, "Maybe you would've heard if you weren't preoccupied."

"I wasn't doing anything. I was just going to class." Jade said, standing up with her books back in her hand. She walks away to her locker with James following.

"You were heading to class while tuning into all the gossip?" Jade rolled her eyes, annoyed. "So what do you think that tattoo actually is? At least I think it's a tattoo she's talking about."

"You are disgusting and I wouldn't know." Jade replied, opening her locker. "It's just noise. You can't really control it."

"We'll have to work on that. The hearing is there to alert you to danger."

"Danger meaning you?"

"Danger meaning killers, executioners, the assorted non-human predator. You're not safe just because you stopped one man from killing you. You have to learn to control your gifts. It might mean the difference between life and - well, for you, losing another."

"Is this your long-winded, slightly frightening way of saying that I have training again tonight?" Jade quizzed.

"Camille will pick you up after work."

"I can't wait." Jade replied sarcastically. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a close talker?"

"Just you." James smirked. He's about to walk away, but he turns back to Jade. "Oh, and Jade, be careful. One of these days, you're gonna here something you won't like. I'll see you later."

Jade just rolls her eyes as he walks away. She closes her locker and walks away to see Carlos and Cat talking intently as the turn a corner to another hall. Jade listens in only to be hurt by Cat's words, _"That's the third time in a row she's blown me off. I seriously think I might be in the market for a new best friend."_

* * *

><p>Beck is staring intently at the screen of his laptop. He looks serious, focused. Jade walks up to him, interrupting his thoughts.<p>

"Hey, you." She greets him.

"Hey." He says, sitting up, watching her sit down in front of him.

"You look industrious, and before you think I'm getting all stalker-y, this sidewalk happens to be directly on the path between school and work. You know, if I take the long way around the park and cut across the divisadero."

"Oh yeah, no, you didn't have to do that."

Jade notices that he's a little nervous. "Are you okay?"

"I'm just in the middle of working on some stuff, getting myself organized."

"Organized is good." Jade answered. "Um, I texted you last night about that movie - blood guts, flying limbs. I'm in."

"I think I'm gonna have to take a rain check. My dad - let's just say he's being my dad and that's complex."

"Rain checks happily accepted. Well, I'd better go or I'm gonna be late." Jade looks down at her phone, looking at the time. "And as of two minutes ago, I actually am late. See ya."

"See ya." Beck replies as Jade leaves to go to work. He retreats back to working on his stuff and doesn't notice Jade look back at him before turning the corner.

* * *

><p>Whitley walks down the street, looking down at his phone when hears a woman's voice call him. It's Melinda Murray; she has blonde locks cascading down her back as well as a hidden evil look. She works for the Order. "Mr. Oliver, a moment of your time. My employer is very upset."<p>

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that."

"The Order does not exist to serve your personal vendettas."

"Perhaps if you'd listened when I tried to warn you."

"The Mai now know of the girl's existence. The plans were in place, but now she's guarded and protected. Your involvement is no longer required. We will dispose of the girl." Melinda walks away with hatred in her eye. Neither of them knows that Brooke is eaves dropping across form the building.

* * *

><p>Jade taps her fingers on the glass counter as she waits for a call. Thoughts run through her head as she stares at it, but her thoughts are soon interrupted by Kelly who walks up to her. "Are you expecting a call?"<p>

"It's more like hoping for one. I'd told Beck that we could only be friends and I thought her was okay with it, but..."Jade notices the hint of sarcasm on Kelly's face. She stops rambling on, realizing that Kelly didn't care at all. "You were being sarcastic."

"I'm glad you caught that." Kelly said, walking away. Jade sighed, putting her phone in her pocket. Sighing, she walks over to a rack and starts touching clothes.

"Hey, my friend Camille's coming by a little before 6:00 and I was wondering..."

"If you could stay all the way to the end of your shift for a change?" Kelly interrupted her.

"It's like you're a mind reader." Jade sarcastically chuckles before turning back to the clothes rack.

The store phone starts to ring and Kelly answers. "Vintage. Kelly." She walks away to the back with the phone. Jade spots Carlos staring down at a comic in the bookstore. Remembering what Cat said earlier, Jade walks over.

"Carlos." She grabs his attention.

He smiles, "Hey. You're coming tonight, right? It's my turn to pick."

"Of course I'm coming. I would never miss dinner with my two best friends." Jade notices Carlos awkwardly look down at his comic. "So is everything okay, you know, between you and me?" Carlos doesn't answer; he just looks back down at the comic. "Carlos?"

"Okay, to be honest, I have been a little hurt. I was reading the American comic book Pantheon the other night when I realized that the main reader has a sidekick."

"What are you talking about?"

"Why haven't you asked me to be your sidekick?"

"My what?"

"Your sidekick, your loyal and trusted confidant."

Jade chuckles, "You, my friend, are already all of those things."

"Really, I am?"

"Really, you are." Jade replied.

"If ever see you in tights, though, the deal's off." Jade laughs.

Kelly comes out from the back, talking on the phone. She's obviously irritated when she shouts into the phone, "This conversations over." She hangs up and looks to see Jade talking to Carlos instead of working. "Jade!"

Jade looks back at her and suddenly gets a hit off of her. It's a mixture of fear, madness. Jade gasps. Carlos, aware, asks, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. For a second, I just...I felt completely terrified."

"She's not that scary."

"No." Jade turned back to her. "It's like I was feeling what she was feeling. She's the one who's terrified."

Carlos looks at Kelly to see that she's talking to another customer and laughing. "Um, whatever that weird sense thing is you got going on, you might want to get it adjusted."

"But I don't even know what it is."

* * *

><p>Later, Camille as arrived and Jade is telling her all of it. Camille, who is as confused as a post, quizzed, "So you're saying you can read people's minds?"<p>

"No, I can't tell what they're thinking. I literally feel what they're feeling on an emotional level. Say you were feeling sad and when I looked at you, I'd immediately feel sad. I can't control it, it just happens." Camille doesn't say anything. Jade continues. "This is the part where you say, "Oh yeah, I get that all the time. It's a Mai thing. It's so not a big deal."

"I'm sorry." Camille apologized. "I've never heard of anything like it."

"Great, so my powers came with an extra scoop of freak." Jade sighed.

"That Jade, always an overachiever."

"Jade, I really don't think it's anything to worry about, but if it'll make you feel better, we can talk to my mom."

The bell jingles as someone walks in. It's a delivery guy holding a note with a box full of sweets and things.

"Hey, either of you "Kelly Wainwright"?"

"No, sorry." Jade apologized. "She left about half an hour ago."

"I guess that's why the instructions say to be here by four o'clock."

"Do you need me to sign for something?"

"I wish you could, but they're cupcakes, and these things go stale pretty quick." He looks down at the note. "And there is a God. They included her address. 411 Arden."

"She moved, like, two weeks ago." Jade grabs a piece of paper and writes down Kelly's new address and hands the paper to him. As soon as their hands touch, Jade feels vengeful, angry, and dangerous. Telling that he's not a nice guy, Jade pushes him onto the floor.

"Jade!" Camille yells, holding Jade back as the guy staggers away.

"What the hell?" He yells, running out.

Camille questions, "Jade, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"I have no idea."

* * *

><p>"It's like I was possessed." Jade explained, sitting in front of Brooke inside the apartment. "The second he touched me, I just felt this huge wave of rage. I just...I don't know how else to describe it."<p>

"That must have been so frightening." Brooke answered.

"It was for me and him. I mean, he just kind of took off. I wanted to go after him, but Camille stopped me."

"She was right to bring you to me. At this moment he's the least of your problems."

"Something's wrong with me, Brooke. Something's really wrong. I think if Camille hadn't been there, I...I might've tried to kill him."

"Perhaps you would have, so it's imperative that you learn to control this."

"How am I supposed to control this when I don't even know what this is?" Brooke nods her head and looks over at the diorama of the Green Star. She gets up without even saying a word. "Brooke?"

"Do you know what the word empathy means?"

"Yeah, it's like, if your friend feels bad, then you feel bad for them."

"Close. Empathy is directly experiencing the emotions of another person. You, my child, are an empathic."

"Like being Mai and the Uniter wasn't enough."

"Or more likely you have this gift because you are the Uniter. Some of the very old legends claim that all Mai were once capable of this. It's what bonded us to humans. It's not surprising that you possess this quality. You are the embodiment of all that is Mai." Brooke explained.

"So if I tried with you right now-"

"No, it was something that passed only between Mai and humans."

"But it doesn't even work right. I thought Kelly was terrified and then the moment I turn around, she laughing and the delivery guy was maybe kind of annoyed, but he certainly wasn't out to kill anybody."

"I know that you don't want to hear this, but perhaps you should limit your contact with humans."

"What am I gonna do, ignore my friends and family?"

"I'm not saying forever. Just until we have a better understanding."

"Ugh, my friends!" Jade gasps, remembering about Wednesday night dinner with Cat and Carlos. "Do you know what time it is?" Jade starts to get up, grabbing her bag.

"Jade!" Brooke called.

"I've got to go!" Jade runs out just as Camille walks in from the other room.

"Go." Brooke ordered. Camille walked out, following Jade.

* * *

><p>Jade runs into the restaurant, searching for Cat and Carlos when she walks up a couple of steps. She spots them sitting at a three-chaired table. When she gets closer, she sees that they've already ordered the drinks. "I'm supersized sorry." She sits down.<p>

"So I guess cats can't read clocks." Cat remarked bitterly. Jade became a little hurt. She understood she was late, but did Cat have to act like that?

"Cat," Jade called her and sighed. "You're not gonna believe what happened."

Carlos, curious, queried, "Did Camille tell you what's going on with the mind melding?"

Before Jade could answer, the check came. Jade glanced down at the little check as she realized something. "You already ate?"

"Yeah, that's usually what we do when we go out to dinner." Cat commented.

Jade begged, "Please don't be this way."

"And which way is that?" Cat wondered.

Carlos tries to change the subject, "Is it possible to get back to the crazy superpower portion of our evening?"

"No." Jade and Cat say simultaneously.

"Look," Jade continued. "I know I've been a little flaky lately, but you didn't really mean it when you said you might be in the market for a new best friend, did you?"

"Who told you that?" Jade realizes that she made it sound like Carlos told her what Cat said when Cat turns to Carlos, "I can't believe you told her that!"

"No, it wasn't Carlos! I just heard it. I'm sorry. This hearing thing isn't quite under control yet."

"What else have you been listening to?" Cat quizzed. "Have you ever heard of a little thing called invasion of privacy?"

"Cat, you're missing the point."

"No, I get it!" Cat shouted. "And A: obviously I didn't really mean it. And B: I think I just might. The Jade I know would never do something like that or treat her friends this way. I got to go. I told my dads I wouldn't be late." Cat grabbed her purse and walked out. Carlos stands up, pushing his chair in.

"Some sidekick you are." Jade remarked.

"She's my ride."

* * *

><p>Jade sits on her bed, just thinking about everything and about how Cat's been such a horrible person lately. Doesn't she realize that Camille and James are my only way out of dying again or dying permanently? Jade thought. Her thoughts are interrupted by Sylvia walking in.<p>

"Hey, Kiddo. Sorry I'm late. It's been a crazy day. How was dinner?"

"I didn't actually make it."

"Really? I thought Wednesdays were practically sacred."

"Are you gonna get on my case now, too?" Jade snapped.

"No, I am too tired to get on anyone's case.

"I'm sorry. I just feel like..." Jade sighed. "Do you ever have one of those days where you feel a little out of control?"

"I do, frequently. Do you want to talk?"

Jade gets off the bed to avoid telling what her mom is feeling after Sylvia gets on the bed. "Cat's pissed."

"Angry." Sylvia corrects her daughter's language.

"Cat's mad at me for reasons only known to Cat."

"Well, she's not used to waiting in line. You've been spending all your time with your new friends."

"Now you sound just like her, but it's not like she and Carlos haven't been surgically joined at the hip."

"Maybe you're just going through a little adjustment period. I mean, as people grow up, sometimes-"

"Do not finish that sentence." Jade warned. "She's my best friend."

"Then I'm not quite sure what we're talking about."

"You don't understand."

"No, it doesn't seem like I do. Is anything else bothering you?"

"No." Jade quickly replied. "Why?"

"It's just a sense, but since you don't seem to be in the mood for spilling secrets or seeking motherly wisdom, I'm gonna close up shop and go to bed." Sylvia gets off the bed and starts to walk out. "But if you change your mind, I will be open again in the morning. Goodnight." Sylvia walks out, closing Jade's door behind her.

"Goodnight." Jade sighs and flops back down on her bed.

* * *

><p>The next day, James is helping Jade control her hearing. They stand in the middle of downtown rush hour where people are working, bells are tolling, birds are flapping their wings, and cars are beeping. "Look, I know I asked for help, but this is like 600 radio stations playing at once. I'll never be able to do it."<p>

"Pick something."

"I can't!"

"Jade, all you have to do is do what I tell you."

"I'm highly suspicious."

"Don't be." James teased. "Now close your eyes." Jade closes her eyes as James continues to instruct. She hears a siren wailing, a baby crying, squeaking.

"It's so loud." Jade spoke.

"Ignore it. Listen to your breathing. The air going in and out of your body. Take your time. The rest of the world doesn't matter. It's only you and me." James looks around as Jade listens closely. "Can you hear the clock at the top of the tower?"

"James."

"You can do this." She starts to hear a faint ticking.

"I can hear it!" She cheered as the ticking got louder and the other sounds got quieter.

"There's a woman in the market haggling with a vendor."

_"Alright, how about we do two for $50?"_

"Now make it all go away. You are in charge of the world around you."

"I don't know."

"Listen to my heartbeat." All of the sounds wipe out and Jade starts to hear a heartbeat; James'. She smiles a little, enjoying the sound of it and it just being there. Jade opens her eyes to see that she and James are awkwardly standing close to each other. She blushes, stepping back a little.

* * *

><p>Beck walks into "Vintage" looking for Jade, but she's nowhere to be found. Hands in his pockets, he walks up to Kelly, who's standing behind the counter. "Hey. Is Jade around?"<p>

"Not yet." Kelly uttered.

"I thought she was always here in the afternoon."

"You and me, both."

"Well, could you just tell her that -?"

"Poised and ready." Kelly grabs a pen and a notebook.

"Never mind, I'll just give her a call. Thank you." Beck walks out of the store as Kelly puts the stuff down, annoyed by his presence. As if on cue, Jade rushes in from the book store.

"I'm sorry! I had to stay late for this class thing." Jade apologized.

Kelly informed her, "Your guy just left two seconds ago."

"Beck?"

"Jade." Kelly called her. "You and I need to talk. What happened here yesterday?"

"You heard about that?" Jade nervously spoke.

"I heard about it and somehow he thinks I'm the one who put you up to it."

"Wait, are you talking about the delivery guy? Why would he think that?"

"What delivery guy?" Kelly asked.

"How many guys did you knock over in here? I'm talking about Jesse."

"You know him?"

"I wish I didn't, but I do. He's my ex."

"I'm sorry. He never said he knew you and he had your wrong address, so I-"

"Wait." Kelly stopped her. "You're the one who gave him my new address?"

"I was trying to help."

"He's the reason I moved out in the first place."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know."

"Jade, this is so screwed up. He's never gonna leave me alone now."

Jade realizes, "He's the reason you're so scared, isn't it?"

"What are you talking about? This is none of your business?"

"But I'm right, aren't I?"

"Seriously, I'm warning you. Let it go."

"Kelly, you have to do something. I can help!"

"You know what would help? If you just grabbed your stuff and you got out." Kelly fired.

"I'm being serious."

"I am, too. Jade, you're fired."

* * *

><p>Jade is at Camille's apartment, telling her about getting fired as they get ready to go train. "It didn't make sense until that moment."<p>

Camille raises her eyebrow, "You seem almost excited that you got fired."

"No, don't you get it? It means I was right. What I felt about Kelly is right. It's still very weird, but it's not completely wrong."

"It has to make you feel better." Camille gets the weapons out. "We have a Bo staff, nun chucks, and iodine. I think we're good to go."

"Shouldn't I have something to fight with?"

"No. Tonight's lesson is avoidance. Sometimes the best way to take a blow is to not be there when it lands."

"Okay, crazy teenage ninja girl," Jade nicknamed her. "Don't you ever get tired of hitting me with things?"

"All the time, but my mom tasked me with training you."

"Hmm, what if I work "avoidance" into a sentence and act like I took a bamboo pole to the head next time I see her, then can we skip?"

"And what do you want to do instead?"

Jade smirks and looks back at the freezer. She walks over and opens it to take out a tub of rocky road ice cream.

"Spoons are in the top drawer," Camille said. Jade got two spoons out and sat next to Camille, opening the ice cream.

Jade continues telling Camille about Kelly's psycho stalker ex-boyfriend. "So Jesse must have called Kelly that afternoon when I got that feeling off her. That's why she was so upset. And if he's going around town pretending to be a delivery guy to get her address, he's a total nut job."

"He sounds like one." Camille agreed. Jade and Camille both take a scoop of ice cream just before Jade continues.

"Hey, you said that the Mai are always watching me, you know, to make sure I'm safe. Could I get a couple of them to watch Kelly instead?"

"Jade, Kelly can take care of herself. I'm more worried-" Camille paused.

"What?"

"I don't think my mom's been completely honest with you. It wasn't just that Hawk creep. The Order's back. They're here in Los Angeles and they're here for you. I just get worried."

"And I appreciate it."

"I know this wasn't the life you weren't expecting." Camille spoke. Jade's phone chimes and she sees Beck calling.

She smiles, "It's not all bad."

* * *

><p>Jade and Beck are having a picnic at the park the next day. Beck's lying down beside her, propping his body with his arm. Jade wonders, "Is it bad if I have a little bit of each?"<p>

"It's not. And I had to guess what you might like."

Jade chuckles a little, "You so didn't have to do this."

"I know, but I wanted to apologize for being kind of rude the other day."

"You weren't rude."

"My head was just kind of somewhere else."

"Believe me, it is okay."

"No it's not. We had that whole conversation about being friends, and which I'm fine with. The truth is that I actually don't have any friends here, which means that I don't really have anyone to talk to."

"You can talk to me."

"I know." Beck sits up. "This is, um, this is the reason I came home." Beck takes a key out of his pocket.

"What's it to?"

"I think a safety deposit box, but I haven't been able to figure out where yet. My mom supposedly was killed in a mugging that went bad, but a part of the story doesn't make sense to me. I felt like my dad was never telling me the whole story."

"But where did you get the key?"

"It showed up at school about a month ago with a note on it "Do you really know what happened to your mother?" At first I thought it was some sick joke, but then I realized that I'm not really sure. So now I'm here and I'm gonna stay until I figure it out."

Jade puts her hand on top of his. "I'm glad you told me."

"I'm glad, too. It feels good talking about it. It's been bothering me for years. I guess I kind of felt like I just had to do something about it."

"I know the feeling."

* * *

><p>Jade walks down the street where Vintage is located, texting on her phone when a chirping sire catches her attention. She looks up to see that police cars are stop in front of the store. "Kelly!" She yells. She runs in to see the place completely trashed; racks are knocked down, mannequins are missing limbs, clothes are displaced. She looks around to see Kelly come out of the back with a police officer. She runs over there.<p>

"Kelly, are you okay?"

Kelly questioned, "What are you doing here?"

"Did you tell them about Jesse?"

"Why would I do that?"

"Kelly, come on, he had to have done this."

"I really just want him to go away."

"You have to tell the police."

"Tell them what, that I think some guy who can't quite grasp the concept of "I never wanna see you again" broke in here? Why, to teach me a lesson? He may be a major-league jerk with some serious control issues, but he's not violent."

"What do you call this?"

"I don't know. My boss is gonna kill me. I was just hoping if I ignore him...this is already embarrassing enough. Please, let me deal with this on my own."

"Kelly."

"I'm a big girl, Jade. I can handle myself." Kelly walks away. Jade looked around and her eyes land on the closed gate to see Carlos and Cat standing on the other side. She walks over and unlocks it, opening it.

Carlos is the first to ask, "What's going on? Is everything okay?"

"No." Jade replied. "Everything is not okay."

"Kelly?"

"Her ex-boyfriend's terrorizing her. I'm almost sure he's the one who broke into the store."

"That means you were right." Carlos answered.

Cat crosses her arms and angrily asks, "Was there ever any question?"

"I just have to figure out what to do." Jade said.

"Maybe you should call Camille and James." Cat bitterly suggested sarcastically. "I mean, I'm sure they can help you make it all better."

"Cat, look, I'm sorry if-" Jade paused, deciding she was done apologizing. It's Cat who should be apologizing. "No, I'm not gonna say it, because I'm pretty much done apologizing. You said that the Jade you know would never do this or act this way. Well newsflash, I'm not the same old Jade. We can pretend that I am, but we all know it's not true. You've always been my best friend. And if it's up to me, you always will be. But you have to accept me as I am now, faults, claws and all. If you can't, I get it. I'm not happy, but I get it. And the next time you get jealous of the time I spend with James and Camille, try and remember that I'm only doing it so I don't have to die again." She stops her speech and sees that Cat is almost about to break down to tears. Jade just turns around and leaves through the coffee shop doors.

* * *

><p>Jade walks down the street when Jesse suddenly appears in front of her, randomly coming out from the plants, as if he was hiding. "Hello again," He taunts.<p>

"You know the police are 2 feet away."

"Call them. I'd love to tell them how you assaulted me the other night for absolutely no reason."

"Stay away from her." Jade warned him coldly.

"What happens between me and Kelly is none of your business, but if you don't back off," Jesse steps closer to her, his scary brown eyes staring into her fierce blue ones. "I'll make sure that you're my business." He turns and walks away. She's about to go after him, but someone grabs her arm.

"Don't be an idiot." She hears a familiar voice and sees that it's James. "If he ever comes within 10 feet of you again, I will personally rip out his lungs."

"How about you just keep him away from Kelly?" Jade suggested.

"Jade, I know you've already been warned. This isn't your fight. You've got to get your priorities straight."

"I can't just walk away."

"There's nothing else you can do. Now please just go home.""

"But Kelly-"

"You heard her. She can take care of herself."

Jade stared at him bitterly for a moment before saying, "Stop watching me."

"You know I can't do that."

* * *

><p>At home, Jade is sitting on the couch, listening to her mom after telling her everything that's been going on with Kelly. "Oh, my God, Jade, why didn't you tell me all of this was going on?"<p>

"I don't think I was completely sure until now."

"Well, now that you know, you are gonna stay far away from this whole situation."

"But mom-"

"No, I don't think you understand how dangerous a guy like this can be. If Kelly doesn't call the police, I will."

"What if that makes it worse?" Jade wondered.

"Doing nothing seldom make problems go away. This is what's been bothering you, isn't it?"

"What?"

"I knew something was up with you. I just...I didn't know what it was."

"How did you know?"

"Face it, kid, we're bonded. You feel bad or sad, I feel bad or sad, even if I don't know the reason. I can't even help it."

"I think that means you're empathic."

"No, that means I'm your mother. You know you don't have to go through all this stuff alone. We, you and me, are a team."

"Thanks. Go, team us. Do you think Kelly's gonna be okay?"

"I honestly don't know. I hope so. And I know you wanna help, but right now it's up to her. You've let her know you're there. But it's her life; she has to take control of it."

"I don't know if it's always that easy."

Later, Jade's in her room, leaving Kelly a voicemail, "Hey, Kelly, it's me again. It's the fifth message, but I'm worried. So just call me, please?" Jade hangs up and puts her phone down before it starts chiming again. She picks it up to see Cat calling. She answers and puts it up to her ear, but before Jade can say anything, Cat starts talking.

_"Before you say anything, you were right and I was wrong. I was the one being a bad friend. I was afraid of losing you."_

"Cat-"

_"I was completely self-involved. I wasn't even trying to see things from your point of view."_

"Cat," Jade yelled.

_"What?"_

"I need you. Can you come over?"

_"I'm outside in my car waiting for you to forgive me, dummy._" Jade smiled with relief as she runs out of the house.

* * *

><p>Tires screech as Cat skids in front of the apartment building Kelly lives in. Jade glares at her and then Cat says, "You're the one who said to go fast to make sure we're not being followed."<p>

"I'm pretty sure we lost them." Jade remarked. "Look, Cat, I know it's not the best time, but I am deeply-"

"And we can deeply make up and forgive each other after you make sure Kelly's okay." Cat interrupted her.

"I just want to check on her. If you see him coming-"

"You're number one on my speed dial. Go!"

Jade gets out of the car and runs into the building. She runs up the stairs and up to Kelly's apartment when she hears shouting. _"I told you to stay away!"_

_"I'll never stay away." _Something breaks, shattering onto the floor.

"Kelly!" Jade screamed. Running in, she sees Kelly knocked out onto the floor. "Kelly?" She looks up at the right moment to see Jesse come out, almost hitting her with the chair. Jade gets up and breaks the chair.

"I told you to stay out of this."

"I told you to stay away from her."

Jesse throws her onto the table, but she kicks him away. "Oh, I'd say sorry, but I've decided I'm not doing that anymore." She throws herself over the counter and into the kitchen, but then Jesse corners her with a knife in his hand.

"Now it's time for someone to learn some manners." He's about to stab her when someone hits him with something. Kelly.

"Well you're surely not the one to do it." Kelly spoke, putting the object away. She looks up at Jade who sighs with relief and walks over. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I'm so much better. Thanks." Kelly thanked. "I supposed this means I hae to give you your job back." They both chuckle as the trade glances at each other.

* * *

><p>Jade and Cat sit in the coffee shop with Carlos, telling him everything. "That's suppose to be my job. I should've been there, not her. No offense."<p>

"None taken." Cat passed it by.

"Well, there's only one problem. You don't have a car." They chuckle as James walks up. She sees him and greets, "Hey."

"We've been looking everywhere for you."

"I've just been here waiting for you. Don't we have some training to do?"

Cat is the next to talk, "And make sure you don't leave out any of the important stuff. Jade needs to know how to protect herself."

"That's what we've been-"

"He doesn't have a car." Carlos interrupted him. The three of them give him strange glances before Jade chuckles, breaking the silence.

"Let's go." She gets out of her seat. Before leaving with James, she tells Cat, "I'll call you later."

* * *

><p>Whitley walks into his office, texting as he closes the door behind him. He puts his phone away and walks over to his desk. He turns to see Brooke sitting on his couch, holding a picture frame. "Who the hell are you? How'd you get in here?<p>

"He's very handsome." She shows him the picture of Beck. "He looks a lot like you."

Whitley walks away to pour a drink. As he's doing that, he opens the drawer for the gun to see that it's missing. Brooke has it. She continues, "You shouldn't leave guns lying around the house. It's very dangerous." He turns around to see that she's now at his desk. She puts the picture frame down. "I just wanted you to know that if the girl is so much as touched, I know where to find you and your son." Brooke threatened, allowing her eyes to turn into slits for a moment. "Whether we see each other again or not is entirely up to you."

"Get out of my house." Whitley ordered. Brooke gets up and leaves as Whitley looks at the picture where Brooke scratched the picture

* * *

><p>Jade is scouring the rooftops once again, but this time she's enjoying it. She grins as she reaches the edge of the rooftop she's on. She turns around and waits for Camille and James to catch up with.<p>

Out of breath, Camille compliments, "You're a fast learner."

"I have good teachers, though some are better than others." Jade teased James.

"Oh, not even." James scoffed. "Taunting is my domain. I'm good."

Jade chuckled. She looked back at the roof that was a little bit further than the one Jade failed to jump. "What do you think?"

"Jade, no. That's too far." Camille nods no.

"We'll see."

"Jade, no!" Both Camille and James run after her as she jumps. She lands on the other road and does a flip. She looks at them and does a victory dance, laughing.

* * *

><p>Jade is back at Jasmine and James' apartment, looking out at the view as Brooke walks over. Clearing her throat, Brooke starts a coversation. "I hear you've been taking some unnecessary risks."<p>

"I knew I could make that jump." Jade looked at her.

"I'm talking about this afternoon with your friend. That could've ended very differently."

"It was important to me."

"I understand. Your human friends are important to you."

Jade stops leaning on a chair and turns to her. "And I'd do it again. You keep telling me to follow my instincts, that's what I did. I might not always understand them, but I have to learn to trust them. I know I might not be the kind of Uniter you were hoping for, but this is the one you've got."

"You're exactly the kind we were hoping for. Maybe it's time Mai and humans stopped living in different worlds. It's not gonna be easy with so much fear and so much hope all in one girl. Like it or not, the whole world is coming for you."

"Then let them come."

* * *

><p><em><strong>Next Chapter: Jade meets two new Mai from Brazil, but their night out has potentially deadly consequences.<strong>_

_"The sky is the limit and I just wanna flow. Free as a spirit on a journey of hope. Cut the strings and let me go. I'm weightless, I'm weightless." - Weightless by Natasha Bedingfield_


End file.
